Tough
by LaurenJV
Summary: Daryl meets his match in a feisty southern woman named Madison. [Daryl/OC]
1. Chapter 1

This is another story I started 4 years ago and published on another site - life and work got in the way of me writing, so I haven't finished this story yet. I want to revamp it and publish here so please let me know what you think!

I do not own TWD, Daryl Dixon, or any other original character from the show, and I want to give credit to the writers of TWD for their plot lines.

Grace, Madison, Claire, Marc, and Tyler are my own characters and any extra plots added are my own.

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOO! No, no, no!"

"Claire!" I whispered loudly to my younger sister, grabbing her arm. "Be quiet before you bring more down on us!" She twisted hard, trying to get away from me. I pulled her with all my might. "A LITTLE HELP HERE!" I said loudly to her boyfriend Tyler, who was just standing there with a look of shock on his pretty face.

My brother in law Marc came flying back into the house and picked Claire up around the waist, pulling her from the house and into the garage as she continued to protest and cry, slapping his arms and flailing around. Tyler, eyes cast downward, turned and slowly followed them. I could hear my older sister Grace crying while trying to console Claire from the garage before the car door closed.

I turned my attention to the gruesome scene in front of me: There was blood and viscera everywhere, smeared on the floor and walls. Two dead biters, one older woman and one younger man, lay with their brains splattered around the kitchen, having been put down minutes earlier by Marc and myself.

My eyes moved to the other figures on the floor and I gulped back vomit and tears, my eyes burning and chest tight with apprehension.

My parents lay dead and bloody, savagely bitten by the two dead biters who had found their way into the house we had been squatting for three days. My eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill as I stood and looked at them, completely devastated.

I heard a noise behind me and whipped around with my knife at the ready and saw Marc coming back in the house. He put his hands up defensively. I lowered it quickly and gave him a short nod.

"It's best if Claire and Grace don't see this," he said quietly, removing the knife from his belt. He put his head down, looking at the floor visibly upset. "I can't believe it...Tom and Nancy...they've always been like real parents to me..." I choked back a sob and took a deep breath. Come on, Madison, I thought to myself, pull your shit together. It has to be done. "How the hell did they even make it in?" Marc asked in a whisper. I shrugged. "The door had to have been cracked open...who opened it?"

I threw my hands up in the air and slammed them down on my hips in frustration. "I don't know. It's too late to wonder about it now or lay any blame," I snapped. I looked over at him and immediately regret my tone, especially when I saw him grimace, and ran a hand threw my tangled blonde hair. "I'm sorry. I just...I don't know. We've been so careful..."

"Maybe they cracked the door for air? It has been stale in here..." I nodded, wiping a tear before it hit my cheek as I thought about how Daddy had been complaining about the heat and stuffiness in the boarded up house.

They'd been in the kitchen fixing a quick meal with what we had scavenged from the house next door. The rest of us had been sitting in the living room, discussing our next move: supplies and food were low and we needed to make a run soon.

I closed my eyes tightly thinking about the events that occurred a few moments ago, a memory I knew would be with me forever...

I was looking at a map with Marc as he and I planned our next move when we heard the screams. We all ran into the kitchen to see a male biter attacking Daddy, destroying his neck, his bright red blood spurting everywhere as he tried to fight him off. Mama was struggling with the female biter as she was tearing chunks from her shoulder. Marc was closest to Mama and took down the female with his knife. I ran across the room and buried my knife in the male biter. By the time the undead were dead for good, Mama was taking her last breath as she held onto Grace's hand and Daddy was already gone and laying at my feet. All I could hear was the sounds of gurgling from Mama and screaming and crying from my sisters as I stood amongst the chaos.

We were too late and now they were dead and about to rise again as one of them.

"Madison," Marc said suddenly. I shook my head and looked across the room to see Mama's hand twitching. "We have to do it," he said.

I nodded as he walked over to my mom and bent down, letting a sob escape from his mouth. Her eyes fluttered and he drove his knife into her temple, making a squelching sound I knew I would never forget. Her hand went limp and so did Marc. I could see his shoulders shaking with grief as he cried over her body. A tear rolled down my cheek as I turned toward Daddy.

I walked slowly to him, the man who had taught me everything...

I was like the boy he never had and his little girl all rolled into one. He taught me to hunt, fish, drive, and live off the land...but also instilled in me the attributes of a southern lady. Of all his girls, I was his number one and he was my daddy. No guy I had ever been with had been good enough for me in his eyes...and none of the guys I had met were as good a man as my dad, though I'd found one close. I sobbed at the thought of my dead fiancé, wishing he were here with me now.

Daddy started to stir and a groan came from deep inside him. Marc stood up and looked at me, wiping tears from his face. I grabbed my knife and held it at the ready.

As Daddy opened his eyes, eyes that had once been so full of life and laughter, but were now milky-green and lifeless, I said quietly, "Daddy...I love you." He clucked his teeth at me and I quickly drove the blade deep into his ear, closing my eyes as he stilled and the noises stopped.

I let out a sob and whispered, as the tears flowed freely down my cheeks, "Daddy...I'm so sorry...I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I wish it had been me..." His lifeless body hit the floor as I removed the knife.I turned and walked out to the garage, unable and unwilling to look back.

* * *

About three weeks later...

"I'm hungry," came a whine from the tent. I rolled my eyes, sitting on the downed tree trunk across from the tent. My sister Claire's whining always got on my nerves but today was especially bad.

"There's some jerky in the cooler," I replied, sharpening my knife.

"I don't want jerky. I want a salad...and steak. That jerky is old and tastes like shit," she whined, poking her head out, her blonde hair tied into a long fishtail braid over her shoulder. I lowered my knife and stared at her, giving her my best glare.

"Claire - if you don't shut the hell up - " I started. She opened her mouth to argue.

"GIRLS!" Grace said from the stream across from our camp site. "There's no need to whine," she said, pointing to Claire, "or be mean," she said, glaring at me.

"Humph," I heard behind me. I turned to see Marc standing duty at the top of the embankment where we set up camp. It was his turn to keep watch. He turned and winked at me, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing about Claire. I smiled up at him.

Marc had been married to Grace for 10 years, and though he wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, he certainly wasn't bad on the eyes: he stood at about 6'2" and was completely bald, despite only being in his 30s, and had these big, intense brown eyes. He was like a big brother to me from the start and we all adored him.

"Okay, these clothes are dry and ready. All the laundry is done," Grace said, returning to her tent to pack the clothes. We always kept the essentials packed and ready, just in case we had to run.

I watched as Grace came back out to the fire and admired my older sister. Despite everything going on, she tried to make every place we stopped feel like home. She washed clothes and dishes, tidied our tents, and kept everyone in line. She was the motherly type and she totally embodied it. She was the shortest in the family at only only 5'2", and had the same green eyes as Daddy, which all three of us inherited from him, but Grace was a little rounder than the two of us. She was beautiful, just like our mama.

I sighed and sheathed my knife, looking around at the trees, trying not to think about our parents or their horrible death.

We had been camping at this site for about five days and I found it odd that no biters had come by. A few had come through at the abandoned cabin we first inhabited after we left the suburbs and the two campsites in the woods after that. Every time we managed to escape unscathed, but instead of feeling relieved that we hadn't seen any, I felt uneasy. I couldn't sleep, even when Marc was on duty. I slept with one eye open afraid that at any moment we'd have to bolt.

Tyler came out of the tent and grabbed some jerky from the cooler and tossed it inside the tent to Claire. Despite all that had happened in the past few months, Tyler still managed to look like he just came from a GQ magazine shoot: tall, thick dark hair, gorgeous brown eyes, clean-cut, and very muscular. He was Claire's typical guy. I smiled at him. He'd grown on me in the past month. Even though Marc and I didn't trust him to keep watch (he wasn't handy with, well, anything), he did pull his weight around the camp, helping with dishes, laundry, cooking...I'd even been teaching him how to hunt. But his most important role was keeping Claire entertained.

Claire, however, really just pissed me off. All she did was whine about the heat, the hard ground, the food, and the lack of real showers. A week ago, I finally snapped and told her that I was sorry the apocalypse was so hard on her, that maybe the next time she can take refuge at a resort. Grace got mad at me and gave me lecture.

I got up from my spot on the log and walked to the fire to check the fish I had caught for dinner. "It's almost ready." I squatted down by the fire.

"Yay...dry, tasteless fish again," Claire muttered, finally making an appearance from the tent.

Claire and I were often mistaken for twins, as we looked so much alike, despite the two year age difference. We had the same blonde hair and green eyes, as well as the same facial features. The differences, though, were that Claire was 5'7" and I was 5'9", and I usually had a tan from being outside so much, where Claire was more fair-skinned. But the biggest difference of all was our personalities, which clashed more often than not.

"Don't eat it, then, Princess Claire," I said, standing and pointing the stick I was using to turn the fish on our makeshift grill over the fire. Grace shot me another look. "No, Grace, this is getting old. I wish she would just shut up and stop acting like a damn spoiled princess." I could feel my face getting red with anger. "We're all struggling to survive and she is acting like a freakin' brat!"

"I am not a brat!" she whined, coming to stand in front of me with her hands on her hips. "This has been really hard on me! I mean, no showers, no makeup, no decent food - "

"Seriously?!" I asked. "You have to be fu - "

"SHIT!" yelled Marc, "Biters! At least 18 of them!" He ran down the hill toward us, brandishing his knife.

I unsheathed my knife, feeling the weight of my handgun in my belt, and the tension rising in my stomach as I pushed Claire roughly toward Grace. Tyler ran out of the tent with his knife in hand, gun in his belt. "Remember," I told him, "try to use your knife so we don't draw the attention of others!" Marc ran down the hill and stood next to me and Tyler. I checked over my shoulder for my sisters and saw as Claire ran and stood next to Grace, their backs to the stream.

One biter came over the hill and fell, rolling down to my feet. I swung my arm down, bringing the knife to rest in his ear. More biters staggered down the hill, the smell of their rotting bodies filled my nostrils and I held my breath.

"Marc- you take the right and I'll take the left. Try not to let them too close to camp!" I hissed at him. "Tyler, you stay back and try and back us up." They both agreed with quick nods of their head as more biters made their way toward us, their shuffling gait making a few of them fall and roll down toward us.

My brain clicked over onto autopilot and I started fighting off biters, pushing one as others came close, swinging my knife with all my might into soft and hard skulls, depending on the state of rot. I could feel blood and chunks of matter splattering onto my clothes and skin, but I kept right on fighting, the need to protect myself and my family spurring me on. I could see Marc out of the corner of my eye, doing just the same.

As I killed the last one in front of me, I heard Claire's blood-curling scream from behind me. I whipped around in time to see a biter grab Tyler and sink his teeth into his neck, ripping muscle and flesh, blood spurting everywhere. Tyler screamed and his eyes closed. A second biter took a chunk from his leg.

"TYLER - NO!" I heard myself scream, my heart sinking as I saw him being attacked. Marc had one left to kill, so I ran over and stuck my knife in the head of the one biting his leg. Tyler's body fell to the ground. The one that got his neck lunged for me, knocking me down on top of Tyler. I pulled my knife hand free and brought it up, forcefully stabbing the back of his head. Blood and innards hit me in the face and I closed my mouth and eyes, and tried to push the now dead body off of me.

I could hear Claire screaming as Grace yelling at her, holding her back. I heard Marc's footsteps running over and the dead biter was lifted off of me. "Thanks," I muttered, as I sat up and quickly wiped my face on my sleeve, trying to clear my eyes and nose. Marc knelt down and used the bottom of his shirt to help me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, starting to check me for bites and scratches. "You're good?" he asked frantically.

"Yeah," I said, putting up my hand. "I'm good. I'm fine."

I looked over at Tyler, who was dead and laying next to me.

"Shit, Marc," I said, looking down at Tyler. "Not again," I said, a tear falling down my cheek. "Where did these ones come from?! We had them contained!" I punched the ground in anger and frustration.

"I think they came from the woods from behind him. They didn't get by us." He grabbed both of my shoulders and forced me to look into his eyes. "This is not your fault." My shoulders slumped in defeat. I could hear both of my sisters crying a few feet away and it broke my heart.

"I have to take care of him. I don't want him to turn. Claire doesn't need to see that," I said firmly, nudging his hands off of my shoulders and reigning in the tears. This was not a time to be weak. I needed to be strong for my sisters...for all of us.

"Want me to do it?" he asked. I shook my head and crawled to my knees next to his body. My stomach clenched again, the threat of vomit coming to the surface. I swallowed hard and resolved myself to the task at hand.

While Marc blocked me from Claire's sight, I took a deep breath and pushed my knife into the base of his skull. I leaned over his body and let a few tears fall, my outer walls crumbling briefly. "I'm sorry, Ty." I whispered. Grace let go of Claire, who came running over to Tyler and threw her body over his. She was sobbing and I rubbed her back for a second before standing up and letting her have her moment with her deceased boyfriend.

Grace walked over and hugged Marc, who pulled her head to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. I turned and made my way toward the creek to rinse my hands. As I squatted by the creek, I heard a twig snap. I jumped up and ran back over to my family, knife at the ready, scanning the area around us as I gestured for Claire to come to us. Grace put her arm around Claire as she ran over and Marc stood next to me, ready and waiting for another fight.

Five people came into sight; three women and two men. One woman was very thin and had long brown hair, one had shoulder-length wavy blonde hair, and the other had very short graying hair, one of the guys was Asian and the other was white...and pointing a crossbow at us. That really pissed me off.

I trained my eye on him, glaring at him and silently willing him to make a move.

"What the fuck?" asked the crossbow guy as he observed 18 dead biters, a dead guy, and the four of us.

"What the fuck is right," I replied.


	2. Chapter 2

The thin brunette woman stepped up to crossbow guy and put her hand on his arm. "Daryl," she said, "you can put that down. They're not any danger to us."

He held it steadfastly on us. "Any of ya bit?" he asked.

"Hell no we ain't bit!" I said, "I just took care of the one that got bit." I wiped my sleeve across my face again, knowing I was still covered in blood and flesh from the biters and pointed to Ty. Daryl looked surprised, but lowered his bow.

Suddenly, we heard a shot ring out in the distance. I jumped. "What the fuck was that?!" I asked. "Don't people know better than to shoot?! Every biter in the area will head this way!"

"No shit," said the guy named Daryl. I shot him a dirty look and he scowled.

"It could have been Rick," said the woman with blonde hair. "He could have been taking down a walker."

"No," said the thin woman. "He and Shane know better. They have knives, so why would they have taken a shot to take down a walker?"

"Who is Rick? Shane? Who are you people?" I asked. Daryl gave me a dirty look and spit on the ground. I shot him a dirty look. Marc came over and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," said the thin one, "I'm Lori. This is Andrea," she pointed to the blonde, "Carol," the older woman, "Glen," the Asian, "and Daryl." Daryl scowled. "Rick is my husband. Shane is his best friend."

"I'm Madison," I replied. "This is my older sister, Grace, and Marc, her husband. That's my little sister, Claire...and that...that was Tyler." I said, looking down at the ground. Claire sniffled next to me.

Lori walked over, and I stood ready just in case something happened, and stood in front of Claire. "I'm sorry," she said. I looked at her and I could see the pain in her eyes. "We've lost some people, too." I heard Andrea make a noise and I glanced over at her and noticed that Carol also had a pained look on her face. My stomach knotted with thoughts of my parents flooding back.

"We gotta keep movin'," Daryl said, interrupting my thoughts. "We gotta make it back ta tha highway before nightfall. We gotta keep lookin' for Sophia."

"Sophia?" Marc asked.

Lori looked at Carol, who started crying. Andrea walked over and put her arm around Carol's shoulders. "Sophia is Carol's daughter. We got overrun by a herd yesterday on the highway and she ran away from two walkers...and she's...she's lost in the woods."

"Y'all ain't seen no little girl, have ya?" Daryl asked, looking at us.

"No. If we had, we would've taken her in. I wouldn't have let a little girl wander around out here alone," I replied, glaring at him. He looked away, obviously pissed off at the entire world. What an ass, I thought to myself.

"We can help you look," Grace offered quietly. "Marc and Madison are pretty good trackers."

Daryl scoffed out loud and looked back at me. I glared at him.

"A girl?" he asked. "Yeah righ'."

"Yes...and I'm a woman, not a girl! Plus I've been huntin' my whole damn life!" I retorted.

"Big fuckin' deal! Don' mean ya worth a shit!" he shot back.

"Hey, you don't know anything about me, asshole!" I said, making my way toward him. Lori stepped in front of him and put a hand on his chest as he made me for too. Marc grabbed my waist. "I'm a damn good hunter and tracker."

Daryl made a shitty face. "Yeah, whatever, Princess." I flipped him the bird, rage pouring through my veins, wanting nothing more than to slug him. Grace shot me a look.

"Daryl, cut it out!" Lori spoke up. "We need all the help we can get!" He rolled his eyes and Lori turned to me. "Listen. Why don't y'all pack up your camp and come with us?" Daryl scoffed and kicked at the ground and started pacing.

I shot him a dirty look. "I can see we're not wanted," I replied, gesturing to Daryl.

"No, just ignore him," Lori said. "We want you to come back with us. Strength in numbers," she said, looking at me intently. I looked at my family. Grace and Marc nodded. Claire looked helpless and downtrodden.

"Fine," I said. "We'll come with you."

* * *

We packed our camp, with the exception of Daryl, Carol, and Claire, in record time and headed in the same direction they were going. I kept my eyes on Daryl as I looked around, noticing that he kept alert with what was going on around us, and still had time to shoot death looks at me. I smirked at him every time our eyes met.

Grace and Lori walked next to each other, speaking quietly, telling their stories to each other. I tuned them out as I kept watch around us.

We walked a few miles when Lori stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry, I just have this feelin' that something awful has happened." She turned and looked into the woods in the general direction of where we heard the shot come from earlier.

"I'm sure everything is just fine," Carol said. Grace put her hand on her shoulder and I smiled at how caring my sister always seemed to be.

We started walking again when I heard a scream behind me. I jumped into action and ran through the trees with Daryl right behind me, Marc not far behind him. Andrea lay on the ground, a huge walker laying on top of her, snapping at her face as she tried to push him away. I ran up and shoved my knife in the back of the walker's head and he fell on top of her. I kicked the body to the side and dropped down to Andrea.

"Are you okay?" I asked, "Are you bit?!" I looked over her skin for bites and scratches.

"No, I'm not okay and I'm not bit," she said, sitting up, wiping her face and neck.

I pulled her to her feet. "Why were you over here and not with the group?" I asked her, suddenly irritated at her complete disregard for her own safety.

She looked affronted. "I was just walking - "

"And not paying attention, obviously," I snapped. She looked pissed. "Don't give me that look. If you're going to be out here, you need to pay attention at all times and either stay with the group or learn to protect yourself. Do you have a weapon?" She nodded, scoffing at me as she pointed to the knife in her pocket. "Then by God, have it ready to go and freaking use it. Jesus." I walked back toward my family, brushing past Daryl, who just watched me walk by with no comment. Marc smiled at me and I glared at him as he turned to walk next to me.

Andrea and Daryl joined us a minute later and Andrea had the nerve to flash me a dirty look, which I matched with one of my own. Daryl smirked at me and I looked away from him.

We continued on our way, my irritation at Andrea continuing to stew.

A few moments later, we heard horses hooves coming through the woods and Daryl raised his bow. A girl with short brown hair came rushing through the underbrush on horseback. She looked at me, "Lori?" she asked. "Lori Grimes?"

I shook my head and Lori stepped up to her. "I'm Lori. What's wrong?"

"You have to come with me. There's been an accident and Rick needs you." Lori looked faint. "It's Carl. Carl's been shot."

"Who's Carl?" I asked out loud.

"Lori and Rick's son," Glen answered. "He's 11 years old."

Lori jumped on the horse behind the woman. "Wait a minute - " Daryl said.

"Let her go!" Carol said, approaching them.

"We don' know this chick from EVE!" Daryl yelled, gesturing to the mysterious girl on the horse.

"Come on," I spoke up. "She knows Lori's name. She said Rick sent for her."

"Man, ya stay outta this Princess!" he yelled at me, stepping toward me, shoving a finger in my face. My heart started racing and I felt my fist curl.

"Don't call me that, you stupid hick!" I replied, stepping right up to him, ready to throw a punch.

"Shut up, you two!" Andrea yelled as she stepped between us. Marc stepped up next to me, ready to defend or stop me, whichever he needed to do. "Go Lori," she said. "Go to Carl and Rick. We'll go back and tell the others."

"Where are you taking her?" Glen asked. The girl gave him directions to her farm and rode off with Lori.

"Tha's jus' stupid if ya ask me," Daryl muttered as he stomped off in the direction of the highway.

"No one asked you," I muttered. Marc squeezed my arm as he steered us after Daryl.

We walked for another half hour from what I could tell and we were nearing the road.

"How much further?" Andrea asked as she followed Daryl, Glen behind her. "It's getting late."

I rolled my eyes. It was about 5:00 and August in Georgia...not even close to dusk yet.

"Not much," he replied, gesturing to where we were headed. "Maybe fifty yards as tha crow flies."

I looked back at Marc who smiled and I returned it. I grimaced to myself, my stomach clenching at the saying that my dad used every single time we hunted, hating that Daryl reminded me of my dad for a brief moment.

When we finally got to the highway, we met two other people in their group: an older man named Dale and a man named T-Dog. Dale looked like he was in his 60's, with gray hair and beard, an old fishing hat on his head. T-Dog was tall and African American, and looked as thought he could be intimidating with his broad shoulders and thick neck...if he didn't look so ill at the moment.

Daryl filled them in about finding us and the horseback rider that came to find Lori as we looked around at the mess on the highway.

"Carl has been shot?!" Dale asked. "Jesus...first Sophia and now Carl..."

"Tha's what tha lady said," Daryl replied. "Knew Lori's name, Carl and Rick. They're holed up at some farm a few miles down tha road."

After some discussion, it was decided that Andrea, T-Dog and Glen should go to the farm ASAP. Glen started to argue, but Dale pointed out that T-Dog needed medical attention and the farm was likely to be a good place to let him rest. Carol wanted to stay in case Sophia made her way back to the highway and the rest of us agreed to wait with her just in case.

In the meantime, Marc glanced at T-Dog's arm and said, "I'm a doctor. Let me take a look at that."

Dale looked relieved. "Oh thank God. I think he has a blood infection."

Marc nodded. "It looks that way. Maybe this farm has antibiotics."

"Shit," Daryl said, making his way to a motorcycle. "I have some...Why din't ya just ask me?" Dale rolled his eyes toward me. I smiled back at him and decided that I liked Dale. "I got all kindsa shit in here," he said, passing two bags full of prescription drugs to Marc. "Merle always had antibiotics. He got tha clap on occasion."

"Merle?" I asked as Daryl walked back to his motorcycle, making a disgusted face at Daryl's back over the clap comment.

"Daryl's brother," Dale said, rolling his eyes. "He was a real piece of work." I nodded. "He's not with us anymore." I couldn't help but wonder what happened.

Marc set off to helping rebandage T-Dog's arm and gave him some doxycycline and ibuprofen. "You're going to need stitches...if we can find any..." T-Dog nodded, thanking Marc for helping him.

Andrea, Dale and T-Dog set off for the farm around dusk. Dale offered to let the four of us rest in the RV while he and Daryl kept watch on top. I thanked him for being kind, and offered to take a turn with watch. He smiled and told me to get some rest. As we settled into the RV, Marc and Grace in the back room and Claire and I in the living area on the couch and dining bench respectively, I let my guard down for a change, thankful for the two men on the roof keeping watch and the protection of the RV around us.

* * *

The next morning, Daryl helped Carol set out water and food on top of an abandoned car, along with a note for Sophia written in soap on the windshield. Carol looked like she would rather stay, but Dale put his arm around her and led her back to the RV. And with that, we made our way to the farm.

When we arrived, we learned from Lori that Carl had made it. Hershel, the farmer/vet had performed surgery to remove the bullet fragments with medical supplies that Shane had gotten from the FEMA trailers at the local high school.

Marc introduced himself to Hershel, who was thrilled to learn Marc was an MD. He and Marc decided to take shifts monitoring Carl. We met Maggie, the girl who came to get Lori, and Beth, Hershel's daughters, as well as Patricia and Jimmy, two family friends. Patricia's husband, Otis, had died on the run with Shane to get supplies for Carl's procedure. She was still grieving, the pain obvious in her blue eyes.

Lori took us into the house and introduced us to her husband Rick, and Shane, his best friend. I couldn't help but notice how good looking Shane was, but that he had a bad-boy like quality...borderline dangerous...and he looked pissed that we had tagged along.

Hershel agreed to let all of us set up a small camp in the field next to his house, so we took the day to get things together.

"This farm is beautiful," Grace said as we hung the line for clothes. "It's so...untouched...like a different world than out there..." I nodded and gave her a weak smile.

We were safe for the time being. But how long would our new sanctuary last?


	3. Chapter 3

Early the next morning, the whole group sat around the common area we had set up in the middle of camp, eating fresh scrambled eggs and toast thanks to Hershel and his chickens. Claire ate silently, picking at the eggs, which she had always hated. The rest of us savored every bite, thankful for something more than just cold beans from a can, fish from a creek, and stale crackers.

Rick walked over from the house where he and Lori had slept to be closer to Carl. He sat down next to Shane and nodded at us.

"So, Marc," Rick spoke up, "Daryl tells me you're a hunter." I lifted my head to look at Daryl, glaring at him. He gave me a look, rolling his eyes.

"Actually," Marc replied, "both Madison," he pointed to me, "and myself are hunters. She is actually a better tracker than I am; her daddy taught her everything she knows." He smiled at me.

Rick turned his striking blue eyes to me and said, "Oh, well that's good news. I don't know if you've heard, but we have a little girl that needs finding. We're going to have a meeting after breakfast, then break out into search groups. If you and Marc would like to help, we'd be grateful." Shane looked at me, intrigued.

"Sure," I said, immediately taking a liking to Rick. He was a plain spoken man, but authoritative, and I could tell that he must have been a great officer before the world went to hell. "We'll help." Daryl made a grunting noise and walked off in a huff.

"You'll have to forgive Daryl," Rick said, watching him walk away. "He's a little rough around the edges, but deep down, he's a good guy." He smiled at me as I scoffed.

Ten minutes later, we all gathered around a pickup truck as Rick produced a surface map he got from Maggie. Hershel made his way to the meeting as Rick started to speak. "We started off looking here, but if we expand our search area out here, working in three groups - "

"Rick, you gave a lot of blood in the past 24 hours," Hershel interrupted, "you wouldn't make it far 'fore passing out. And you," he pointed to Shane, "are certainly in no shape to go into the woods with that ankle." Shane looked pissed, while Rick quickly agreed.

"You're right, Hershel," Rick replied, looking back at the map.

Shane hobbled off with a very distinct limp. Hmmm...I thought to myself, I wonder how he got that.

Rick continued. "How about Marc and Andrea head back to the highway to see if Sophia came back, then take this area here that we didn't search, and Madison can head this way with Daryl - "

"No way," Daryl interjected. "I ain't babysittin' no little girl tha' thinks she can hunt - "

"Excuse me!" I said, feeling the anger starting to bubble over, "I am not a little girl and I'm probably a better hunter than you!"

Daryl scoffed and opened his mouth to reply. "Daryl, Madison," Rick said, holding up his hands, "you have to work together. I want you two to take this area, so that if you need so split up, you can both find your way back."

There is no way I'm working with that asshole, I thought to myself. First chance I get, I'm headed off on my own.

I looked at Rick's face and swallowed my pride for a moment, not wanting to disappoint him.

"I just need to know," I said to Rick as Daryl stormed off, "her height, weight, build, and what she looks like." Rick smiled and provided the information to me.

I returned to my tent to gather my backpack with some water, my handgun and ammo, some rations and my favorite hunting knife. I kissed Grace and Claire goodbye, waved to Marc, and went to meet Daryl at the edge of the woods.

As I was walking toward him, I could see the scowl on his face. "Okay, Princess," he spat, as I reached him, "Le's go. I ain't got all day."

I got right in his face, having to tilt my head just slightly to look up into his eyes. "Look here - I want to find this little girl for her mother's sake. I'm a damn good hunter, a great tracker, and an even better shot. This group needs me to help find her. So you can take that attitude and shove it up your redneck ass." I pushed past him and entered the woods. I heard him scoff as he walked behind me.

We walked in silence for about 10 minutes before he spoke. "Where ya from?" he asked.

I snorted. "Really? Now you're tryin' to talk to me?"

"I just ask't ya a question, Princess, damn!"

I kept my head up, looking around. "Madison, Georgia," I said softly, picking up on some tracks. I bent down to look, Daryl quickly rushing to my side. I picked up a piece of the dirt and crushed it in between my fingers. "This is about a day old," I said.

Daryl looked surprised, but tried quickly to disguise it. "Le'sgo, Princess...after ya..."

I rolled my eyes and continued on the path that Sophia took.

"Ya don' strike me as tha huntin' and trackin' type," Daryl said as we stepped around fallen branches. "I mean, ya look like a damn pageant girl..." I scoffed, undecided if he was trying to compliment or insult me.

"No, that's my sister, Claire. Besides, you know what they say about a book and it's cover," I replied. "Or maybe YOU don't." I gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah, whatever, Princess. I ain't dumb."

"If you say so."

"Guess yer some college educated b-," he mumbled, cutting off the last word as I glared at him.

"Yeah, I am." I said, "I was a teacher before the world went crazy and people started eatin' each other."

He barked a laugh. "I could see that. I always hated my teachers..."

I rolled my eyes at him. Stupid redneck, I thought to myself. He gave me a sarcastic half-smile.

About a mile and a half silent walk later, we came to a clearing. I could see a wood cabin. Daryl picked up his pace and raised his crossbow, on alert for walkers. I followed quickly, my knife clutched in my fist.

When we entered the house, we heard a noise. He quickly put his arm up to block me then dropped it just as quickly when he saw the face I made. He pushed the door all the way open, his crossbow locked and loaded, ready to shoot. We made our way through, seeing that the house was abandoned. We heard another creaking noise coming from a closet. Daryl signaled to me, and he walked slowly up to the door, then flung it open. "Shit!" he yelled.

Looking inside, we saw a pillow and blanket with a marked impression of a small body. "She was here," I said. "Maybe she just left?" I reached down. Cold. I shook my head and stood up.

"DAMNIT!" He bellowed. He kicked the wall. Wow, I thought to myself, it really means something to him to find this girl. Maybe there's more to his relationship to her or Carol, I wondered.

He walked outside. I took one last look at the closet and followed. He walked toward some flowers growing outside of the house. As I followed, I noticed what had caught his attention and I stopped in my tracks, memories flooding back to me as my stomach clenched and my throat filled with dread.

"Cherokee Rose," I whispered. He turned and looked at me, surprised.

"Yeah..." he said, "how'd ya know?"

I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes as I stood frozen, lost in memories. Daryl walked up to me and broke the spell, looking into my eyes. For the first time, I really noticed the pretty blue color and how handsome he really was under that shaggy hair and rude attitude.

"Madison?" he asked, putting his hand on my arm. I recoiled, pulling my arm back and he dropped his hand.

"My..." I choked out. Flashes of my dad came back to me: him laughing at something I said...showing me how to hold a gun...our first hunting trip...teaching me how to track...teaching me about the land...reciting the story of Cherokee Rose...

"Ya okay?" he asked.

I snapped out of it again, shaking my head. "Yeah. I'm fine. Let's go." I turned away from him, not wanting him to see me cry.

Like hell was I going to open up to the likes of Daryl.

We made our way back to the farm silently and walking several yards apart with me leading the way. I knew he was behind me but I didn't give him the satisfaction of checking.

We got back to our camp and I walked to the RV, Glen and Dale on top for look out.

"Where's Carol?" I asked.

"Everything okay?" Dale asked, concern in his voice.

I cracked a sad smile. "We didn't find her but we did find some clues as to her whereabouts. She wasn't far from here." Glenn's head dropped and Dale nodded. "We'll pick up the search first thing tomorrow."

"Carol's in the RV," Dale replied.

I walked up the stairs and saw her sitting there. I sat down across from her, taking my backpack off. She smiled very sadly at me. "I'm sorry Carol. We found a small house where she was holed up but she was gone. We're going back out first thing tomorrow." She nodded, taking my hand across the table and squeezing it.

"Thank you, Madison. I'm glad you're here." I smiled. I heard someone coming up the stairs behind me and turned. Daryl came in and looked at Carol. "We'll find her."

She smiled warmly at him, again making me wonder what their relationship was even though it was none of my business, nor should I have cared.

Daryl produced a beer bottle from behind his back with a Cherokee Rose sticking out of the top. I sucked in a deep breath.

"What's that?" Carol asked.

"It's a Cherokee Rose. Tha story is tha' when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on tha Trail'a Tears, tha Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much 'cause they was losin' their little ones along the way from exposure, disease and starvation. A lotta them just disappeared." I tuned out, closing my eyes and hearing my daddy's voice in my head..."So the elders said a prayer; asked God to uplift the mothers' spirits.. The next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell..." I felt a tear slide down my cheek. God, I miss my Daddy, I thought to myself.

"Madison, are you okay?" I heard Carol ask. I nodded and opened my eyes, wiping my tears. I jumped up and pushed past Daryl and left the RV.

"Madison!" I heard Daryl call behind me. I kept walking, quickening my pace. He caught up in no time and grabbed my wrist, turning me around to face him.

"Let GO of me, Daryl!" I spat at him, trying to pull my arm from his hand.

"No - not 'til ya tell me wha's wrong," he said, tightening his grip on my wrist.

"It's none of your damn business! I'm perfectly fine!" I jerked my arm away, but not before he saw the tattoo on the inside of my wrist.

"Is tha' - ?" he started.

"YES! Okay?!" I flipped my wrist over so he could see the Cherokee Rose tattooed on my wrist, along with my Daddy's initials, feeling my face turn bright red. "Cherokee Rose reminds me of my Daddy - he taught me everything about the woods, nature, and hunting. And I guess those skills came in handy when I had to KILL HIM because one of those damn BITERS got him. Are you happy now, you redneck asshole?! You got me near figured out! Now leave me the HELL alone!"

I turned and stormed away from him. I climbed in my tent, zipped it closed and shut out the world.


	4. Chapter 4

I'd managed to avoid everyone except my family that night and that was perfectly fine by me; Grace tried to engage me in conversation, but I was too far gone in my anger by then and she knew well enough to back off. Even Rick seemed to pick up on my mood and kept a wide berth, shooting me the occasional look of concern. Shane tried to strike up a conversation and I completely ignored him. Then Daryl sat on the edge of the group at dinner and I could feel his eyes on me...I managed to refrain from acknowledging that fact by not bothering to look in his direction. I ate quickly and went straight to my tent after we were done, not saying goodnight to anyone.

The following morning, I woke up from broken sleep feeling on edge with tears in my eyes, my dreams filled with images of my dad, roses, biters, and Daryl - all of which really pissed me off.

Before all of this started happening, I was not the kind of girl that cried at sad movies or when some guy broke my heart or if I didn't get my way. I never got emotional at the drop of a hat like my mom or my sisters and even some of my girlfriends. That's one of the ways I wasn't a typical girl. Don't get me wrong: I always wore girly clothes, got my hair and nails done, wore make-up and flirted my ass off...but I never got emotional. Since the shit hit the fan, I'd cried more than I had my entire life...and I hated it.

Honestly, there was something about finding the Cherokee Rose yesterday and hearing Daryl telling Carol the story, and the look in his eyes when I had my near break down that really got to me. It was like he wanted to hug me, or at the very least comfort me, and I couldn't decide if that idea repulsed or intrigued me.

I hadn't been touched intimately by a man since my fiancé died.

Jackson was new to our small town of Madison, Georgia thanks to the Army, and was a new member at our hunt club when we met. He had been so impressed to find out there was a girl in the club that he asked me to show him the grounds. I took him out to give him the grand tour and we hit it off. He was handsome - tall, dark haired, blue-eyed, tan, and heavily muscled from Army training. As my friends and sisters confirmed, he was extremely hot. But best of all, he was kind and thoughtful, funny, and romantic - he loved me despite my flaws and I was very much in love with him.

We dated for almost two years before he asked Daddy for permission, which was given readily by both of my parents who loved him like their own. A week after Jackson proposed the Army called, and he was shipped off to Afghanistan; our wedding plans were put on hold. About 6 months ago, before everything fell apart and the dead were rising to eat their neighbors, I got a call from his sister Ana. Through her own tears, she told me that the Army had just left their house...and that Jackson would be coming home for burial.

My eyes stung at the memory of that phone call. That was the last time I cried before recent events.

"Madison?" I heard a gentle voice call from outside my tent. I sat up and rubbed the sleep and tears from my eyes, then reached up to unzip the door. "Good morning," Grace said, a nervous smile on her pretty face as she stepped just inside. "I just wanted to let you know there's breakfast out here. Daryl got a rabbit this morning, so we have some good eats out here."

I gave her a weak smile. "Thanks," I told her. "Let me change and I'll be right out." She smiled, reached out and stroked my cheek lovingly. I leaned into her hand and sighed. "See you in a minute." I told her as she nodded. She stepped backed out and zipped the tent closed for me. Grace was like that...so motherly. It was heartbreaking when she learned that she and Marc couldn't have children. She was so kind, just like our mama, that it hardly seemed fair that she couldn't have her own kids. But in hindsight, I thought to myself, it was probably for the best, present circumstances as they were.

I got up from my sleeping bag and changed from my gray yoga capris and black tank and tossed them into the corner. I pulled on a pair of undergarments and bra, my tan capris, a camo tank top, gun belt, and running shoes. I put my slightly greasy and dirty hair up in a messy bun, wishing for a nice shower and shampoo. I grabbed my backpack, double checked for my ammo and supplies, put my knife and handgun in my belt, and headed out to breakfast.

The whole group appeared to be outside, all milling around the makeshift campsite, getting food from Carol or hanging around and eating breakfast. I nodded my head at T-Dog and Glen as I walked by them toward the fire pit and they both smiled in return. I arrived to see Carl sitting between Lori and Rick. He reminded me of the kids I taught, and I felt a little sad, wondering about their whereabouts. I shook the thoughts out of my head and smiled at him."Hey there, Carl. I'm Madison. It's nice to finally meet you."

He smiled. "You too, Madison. Thank you for helping search for Sophia. It means a lot to me and to all of us."

I nodded. "Of course, buddy. We'll find her. I promise."

Lori smiled at me, pointing me in the direction of the food. "Help yourself. There's plenty to go around," she said. I nodded in thanks and smiled at Carl again, my soft spot for kids showing.

I walked over to the table where Carol was still cooking eggs on the skillet over the cooking fire; Grace was washing dishes in a tub and smiled lightly at me, which I returned. I grabbed a plate and helped myself to some of the rabbit meat and eggs, keeping my head down so I could stay to myself, still not quite ready to face the day or these people. I heard someone clear their throat across from me and I looked up into Shane's brown eyes.

"Mornin' Madison," he said. "How ya doin'?" I glanced over at Grace who gave me a look.

I took a deep breath. "Just fine, Shane. You?" I asked with a forced kindness, Grace still watching me intently. I wanted to roll my eyes but refrained.

"Not bad. Just ready to get back out and look for Sophia."

"I'm sure. How's the ankle?" I asked.

"Good, good," he said. "Marc says I should be okay in a few days." He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "So I hear you're a good shot." He looked me up and down, clearly checking me out. I felt like covering up, knowing that the push-up bra I was wearing made my breasts look huge, but it was the last one I had.

"The best!" Marc said as he walked up next to me. I cleared my throat and glanced up at him, throwing him a thankful smile.

Shane grinned at me and I almost rolled my eyes again. "Well, I am a certified instructor, and I was thinking about trainin' some people up on shootin'. You feel like helpin' out?" Shane asked.

"Sure," I replied. I was always willing to help train people about gun safety and proper use and technique. "This morning I plan on going back out in the woods...but you just let me know when and I'll be there."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, his eyes roving over me again. He gave me another boyish grin and a mock salute, clearly flirting, before handing his plate to Grace and walking away.

"Could he have been any more obvious?" I ask Marc, who had the nerve to laugh. I slapped him on the arm as Grace laughed too. "It's not funny." I smirked at both of them, laughing a little too. "He's clearly trying to flirt with me. I need to sharpen my fuck-off vibes so he will get a clue."

"Oh no, yer fuck-off vibes are jus' fine," said a gruff voice behind me.

I turned my head to see Daryl standing there. "Seriously?" I said quietly to Marc and Grace, throwing my hand up in frustration. "Could this morning start off any worse?" Marc and Grace exchanged a look and Marc walked around the table, grabbing her arm and moving away from me. "Traitors!" I called after them as they walked toward the fire to join the others.

"Mornin' Princess," Daryl said, moving to stand next to me. "How are ya today?" I turned to him, fixing a hateful look on my face. His blue eyes crinkled in the corners, his amusement at my discomfort written all over his face.

"Just peachy," I replied sarcastically, giving him a mock smile. I turned sharply and stalked over to sit with Grace, Marc, and Claire.

Daryl soon made his way over with his plate and stared at me from his perch across the fire next to Carol. I ignored him as best I could while I ate in silence, staring at the fire, all of my frustrations starting to bubble up again, thoughts of yesterday combined with no sleep, terrible dreams, and interactions with both Shane and Daryl making me more and more irritable.

After I finished, I stood up and announced to the group that I was headed to the woods. I knew I could clear my head by going out there and searching for Sophia.

Rick nodded. "Meet us by the truck in five and we'll map things out." I nodded in response and went to throw my plate in the dirty dishes tub.

"You be careful out there," Shane said as he walked up next to me. I turned to look at him, his brown eyes searching mine. His intense gaze made me feel uncomfortable. "You know I'm here if you need anything." He handed me a bottle of water, stepping closer to me.

"Thanks, Shane. I'll keep that in mind." I stepped around him and walked toward my sisters who were by Grace and Marc's tent. When I turned to look back, he stood in the same place staring at me. He smiled and I gave him a small dismissive wave.

How bizarre, I thought to myself as I got to Grace and Claire.

"You got everything you need?" Grace asked. "Snacks? Water?"

"Everything is set," I told her, pointing to my backpack secured to my back. "Shane gave me water."

"I saw that," Grace replied, her eyes lighting up with laughter as she smiled.

"Shane certainly has been watching you," Claire said. "Daryl, too." She gave me a weird look, almost like she was jealous.

"So?" I replied sharply, giving her an exasperated look. "I don't care. This is not some dating game show. This is real life right now and there are more important things to worry about than guys. Like finding Sophia, protecting this group, and not dying."

Grace held up her hand as Claire opened her mouth to respond. "Okay, girls. That's enough. We're just playing with you, Madison. Relax."

"I'm sorry," I replied, truly feeling bad for getting upset with them. "I'm just tired. I need to just get out there and do my thing and find Sophia."

"It's okay. Be careful," Claire said.

"I will."

"See you soon," Grace said, giving me a hug.

* * *

Rick split us up: Andrea and Marc went south, Daryl headed north and I headed east. Shane, Carol, and Rick went back to the interstate to see if Sophia made her way back to the traffic snarl. I was thankful to be on my own and especially thankful not to be paired with Daryl again.

As we headed toward the woods, Daryl let out a whistle. I looked over as he gave me a sarcastic salute. I rolled my eyes and threw him a one finger salute and went on my way.

The day was a total bust.

I came across one biter in a few hours which was easy to put down. But there was no sign of Sophia. I was so frustrated to waste the day. I doubled back and walked along the path toward the north. I quickly found Daryl's tracks and started to follow them, thinking I'd branch off a little to cover more ground.

I walked for about half a mile when I came to a ledge, seeing slide marks down the steep drop. My heart started to race as I searched the area. I looked down through the trees to see Daryl in the creek, passed out with an arrow in his side, and a huge biter headed toward him. My heart stopped, dread filling my entire being.

"SHIT!" I yelled and ran down the hill, nearly tripping and rolling down the hill myself. "HEY!" I screamed and splashed through the water, getting the attention of the corpse headed toward him. I slipped on the creek bottom and nearly fell. The biter headed straight for me. Not wanting to waste any time, I swung my arm up and stabbed him through the chin, thick coagulated blood spurting out and covering the front of my shirt.

A sound came from behind me and I dogged another biter, slipping and falling into the creek. The biter took advantage of that and went for my leg. I kicked him in the face and suddenly an arrow flew into his eye. I turned and looked to find Daryl conscious, giving me a surprised look.

"Wha' tha fuck happened?" he asked before passing out again.

Shit, I thought to myself as I quickly stood up, looking around for any more danger. Once I determined we were safe, I quickly made my way over to him and knelt down beside him. I assessed his injuries while he was out cold, taking note that his arrow was through the front of his abdomen and poking through his right side. I lifted his shirt to check the wounds, noticing that his abdomen was surprisingly well-defined.

Focus Madison, I told myself. I shook my head, chastising myself for even noticing.

The entry and exit wounds looked pretty intact, no shredding or tearing, and I knew well enough from Marc to leave it alone - he would have to remove it back at the farm. I looked over Daryl's legs and arms for bites or scratches, and I was glad to find that so far he was okay.

As my heart raced, I started to realize how bad it would be to lose Daryl - even if he did get on my last nerve - he was a valuable member of the group and it scared me to think that something could happen to him of all people. Rick depended on him...we all did. I was suddenly very thankful for my intuition to head this way in the first place.

Knowing that he had passed out at least twice, I moved up to his head, lifted it and rested his head in my lap. I gently lifted his head to check for bumps, turning it to the left and right as I ran my fingers over his dirty scalp and looked for bumps. His eyes shot open. "What are you doing?" he asked groggily, trying to sit upright.

"Checking your head for bumps," I told him irritably. "You fell from up there and you keep passing out. I think you have a concussion."

"Imfinewoman," he mumbled, pushing my hands away clumsily and moving to sit up. "Leave me alone, dammit."

I stood up. "Fine." I threw my hands up and walked away from him, looking around for a way out and for any biters. "Stubborn ass," I said under my breath, my heart pounding with adrenaline and anger. If he wanted to act like a prideful ass, then so be it. I didn't have to help if he didn't want it.

I heard him struggle to stand. "Shit," he muttered. I closed my eyes, willing myself to gather some patience and letting out a huff of air. "Fine," he whispered loudly. "Can ya gimme a hand?"

I turned back and smirked at him. "Sure."

* * *

We walked slowly back to the farm. He was weak from the arrow still in his side and his ankle had gotten twisted on the same side, so he was limping pretty badly. I used the flannel shirt I had stuffed in my backpack to hold the arrow in place to hopefully prevent it from moving too much. He looked awful...his face was dirty from laying in the creek and his clothes were ratted and torn.

"Don't take this the wrong way Dixon," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "but you look like shit."

He laughed and grimaced. "Damn tha' hurts ta laugh."

I couldn't help myself as I laughed. "Sorry."

"No yer not," he growled.

"You're right," I replied, laughing lightly.

He actually smiled at me. "Well, ya look like shit, too." I looked down at my clothes, which were also covered in dirt and blood.

"Hey, it's the apocalypse, not the Miss Georgia pageant." We both laughed and I found myself starting to actually enjoy his company.

He wasn't so bad when he wasn't prying or scowling or intentionally trying to piss me off. I glanced over at him and noticed just how handsome he was - strong jaw, pretty face, pretty blue eyes - and his arms were certainly nice to look at as well. And when he smiled, his whole face lit up, making him look very handsome indeed.

He looked at me at that moment and smiled again. "Well I think ya could still be a finalist in tha Miss Georgia pageant, even covered in mud and walker guts for wha' it's worth," he said, blue eyes twinkling.

My heart skipped a beat and I laughed it off. "That's it. You definitely have a concussion." He barked a laugh and grabbed his side. "HA - Serves you right, Dixon." I laughed when he flipped me off.

Through all of this, he was starting to grow on me...I hated to think about what would have happened if I hadn't come along...

He grabbed his side and grimaced again, breaking me from my thoughts. "Why'd ya come north anyway?" he asked.

"East was a bust. She wasn't there. I made it all the way back to the highway and there was no sign of her."

He shook his head. "Where are ya, Sophia?" he asked quietly.

We saw the clearing for the farm up ahead.

"I'm glad I came back north, though. You needed me."

He stopped walking. "Wha' you say?"

I stopped walking to look at him. "You needed my help. I'm glad I followed my gut and found you - "

"I didn't need yer help! I woulda been jus' fine!" he said angrily.

"Dixon - you were passed out, an arrow in your side and a biter on top of you!"

"SCREW YOU!" he said, getting in my face. "I don' need anyone's help! I woulda woken up and taken tha' walker myself! Matter fact, I woke up in time ta save yer ass, Princess!"

"Bullshit!" I yelled back. "I had that biter! I was about to take him out!"

"Whatever, Princess. Just get outta my way."

He pushed past me and limped away from me toward the clearing. "You have to be kidding me," I said quietly. "A simple thank you would suffice." I pulled the water out of my backpack and took a swig. I looked around the woods and closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the nice breeze across my face. I loved the woods and wished with everything in me that I could go back in time...

I heard a shot ring out.

"What the hell?!" I screamed, taking off in a sprint toward the clearing.

When I got there, I saw Shane, Glenn, and Rick standing over Daryl, who had blood pouring from his head. "WHO THE HELL SHOT HIM?!" I asked, running up to them, my heart pounding out of my chest at the sight of the gash in Daryl's head from a bullet.

"SHIT!" I heard Andrea's voice as she and Dale ran across the field. "I thought he was a walker!" she screamed as she ran.

"I told you not to shoot!" Rick yelled at her.

"Who shot me?" Daryl asked, then passed out again. Shane and Rick picked him up under his arms and started toward the farm together as I ran to get in Andrea's face, the anger rising in my chest.

"You shot him?!" I screamed at her. "You have a scope on your damn gun! You couldn't see that he's not a freakin' walker?!" Dale stepped between us and put his hands up, blocking me from her.

"It was a mistake, Madison," Dale said, "just a stupid mistake." Andrea looked guilty and offended at the same time and I wanted to punch in her right in the nose.

"The mistake was letting her stupid ass have a gun!" I yelled and then ran to follow Rick, Shane, and Daryl. I looked up to see Hershel, Patricia, and Maggie running to meet them. Marc ran over from the campground and together, he and Hershel got Daryl into the house and into a room to check him out. I sat in the living room with Rick and Shane and told them what happened with my search and finding Daryl. I left out our argument, feeling it wasn't important. Rick patted me on the arm and thanked me for helping while Shane just stared at me.

A half an hour passed and Marc came out and told us that Daryl would be fine. The bullet grazed his head and he was able to remove the arrow from his side without damage to any organs or a lot of blood loss. He was awake and drugged.

Rick stepped in to check on him and left Shane and I in the living room.

"Good thing you were there to find Daryl," Shane said smiling at me, a strange look in his eyes.

"Yeah...too bad Daryl didn't see it that way."

Shane laughed and took a step toward me. "Madison," he started, "I think you're something else." He reached a hand up and pushed a piece of hair off my face and I made a face, wanting to push him away.

I stepped back. "Thanks, Shane...I appreciate that. But you should know, I'm not interested in starting anything. It's not really an ideal time what with the current state of our world..."

He smiled. "Can't we just be good friends?"

"Sure. Friends." I smiled, stepping back further to distance myself as he gave me another once over. He was starting to give me the creeps.

Rick came out and Hershel asked to speak with him about what happened. I stepped into the room to see Daryl. "Hey Dixon," I said. "How ya feeling?"

He looked at me and said, "I feel good. Doc has me drugged up...I don't feel a thin'!" and he gave me a genuine smile. I couldn't help but laugh - a real laugh - at his expense, of course.

"You are so doped up," I said.

"Sit down, Princess," he said, patting the bed.

"See? You're definitely high on pain meds!" I said as I sat down on the edge of the bed. He laughed. "I have to be honest, Dixon...I was scared when I saw you passed out with that biter on top of you. This camp needs you and you were so close to..." I trailed off.

"I woulda been fine. But," he said, grabbing my hand, "I do want ta thank you for helpin' me." I felt a rush in my abdomen...his touch sent sparks through my body, his words made me flush...

"That's the drugs talking," I said, pulling my hand back, eager to get away from him and the feeling that just came over me.

"No, I'm serious," he said, smiling at me, his eyes getting heavy. "Yer special, Madison Davis. I thin' I migh' like you." I could feel myself blushing as his eyes closed, my heart beating faster with each word he said.

"Whatever, Dixon. Go to sleep."

"Sleep well, Madison. Thanks again."

"You're welcome," I said. I left the room to hear Hershel and Rick arguing.

"My people would feel safer carrying guns, but if you feel that way, I'll only let a few carry 'round the clock...myself, Shane, and Madison and when Daryl's back, he can have his bow. Whoever is on watch will need one and we will make sure they're properly trained. Shane, Madison, and I have already discussed going out and doing some training. We'll all feel better that way."

"That's fine, but I'm telling you right now: I don't like the guns here. We've done just fine without and I don't want this to turn into an armed camp." Hershel nodded at me. "Ms. Davis," he said, "you are more than welcome to shower here in the house. You look like you could use a hot one."

I nodded. "I may just take you up on that...how about after dinner?"

He smiled. "Sure." He gave Rick a nod and left the room.

"Madison, I want to thank you for bringing Daryl back to camp. He told me all about how you helped him out there...he seems pretty thankful for all you did, so I want to thank you again."

"Yeah, of course...You're welcome. Glad I happened by him."

"Me too. You're very important to the group and I hope you know how much we all appreciate you." My face flushed with embarrassment. I hated recognition.

I nodded. "Thanks." He smiled and clapped me on the shoulder, leading me out of the house.


	5. Chapter 5

That night, Lori, Carol and Grace decided to fix a big dinner in the house, mostly as a way of thanking Hershel and his family for the last few days. They fixed grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and bread - all home grown and made - and it was like Thanksgiving, especially given what we had been eating since the world turned to biters. Everyone sat down together at the large table in the dinning room. Well, everyone except Maggie, Beth, Glen, Jimmy, Claire, and myself, who sat at a fold up card table.

"I feel like we're at the kids table - like we're expected to misbehave!" Glen joked. We all laughed. I found myself really liking Glen and I had a feeling from the looks she was giving him, that Maggie had taken a more intimate liking to him, which I thought was cute. He turned to Claire and pinched her on the arm playfully. She squealed and pinched him back. We were all laughing, until Hershel gave us a look. Glen sat up straight, his face turning red. We all snickered under our breaths. My chest tight was with amusement and the effort to stop from laughing out loud and Rick looked over at me and winked. I smiled back at him.

I made a vow then and there to drop my walls a bit and get to know some of these people better. Well, everyone but Shane and Andrea, I thought to myself. I would definitely keep him at arm's length and she was just an idiot I wanted nothing to do with.

Conversation at dinner was light but awkward. Hershel was still pretty upset about what had transpired earlier with Andrea and Daryl. From what I gathered, he was surprised that the group had made it as long as it had, what with idiots shooting live people - I couldn't blame him for that, considering how angry I still was with Andrea. I had a feeling that Hershel was just uncomfortable with us being at the farm, like maybe we had already overstayed our welcome.

After dinner was over, Carol made a plate for Daryl and asked me to drop it by the room for him on my way to the shower. Grace smirked at me and I made a face, but took the plate from her anyway. "Thank you, Madison!" Carol said in a sing-song voice. I waved her off as she and Grace both giggled.

I knocked on the door and heard a gruff voice yell to come in. I opened the door and saw him laying there naked from the waist up. I felt a blush creeping over my face as my heart sped up at the sight of his chiseled chest and stomach.

"Hey, Daryl," I said. "Carol asked me to bring you supper."

"Yeah, whatever," he said, not even bothering to look at me.

So we're back to ourselves, I thought to myself, and that suits me just fine. I was starting to get whiplash from the back and forth attitudes. Besides, the way I saw it, it seemed he was easier to dislike than to try and figure out.

I set his plate roughly on the table and turned to leave. "Where ya goin'?" he asked gruffly when I got to the door.

I huffed a breath and turned to look at him, putting my hand on the door frame. "To take a shower," I replied rudely, giving him a look, completely exasperated with him.

"Well, thank God," he replied, "ya were startin' ta smell like a walker." I flipped him the bird and glared at him as he laughed. "Why don' ya stop back here after?" he asked.

"Why? So you can be an asshole to me some more?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips, getting more and more worked up.

"Maybe," he said. He looked down at his hands. "Or maybe I just wanted ta talk ta ya."

I was rendered speechless, my mouth dropping open as I looked at him dumbfounded. There were literally no words that came to mind. He looked back up at me, seemingly embarrassed and I found myself actually considering it.

"O-Okay, " I replied, surprising myself with the words coming out of my mouth. "But only for a bit." I smiled sarcastically. "I mean...I'm kinda tired from saving your scrawny ass today." I turned before I could change my mind and closed the door behind me. I heard a thump against the wall and smiled when I figured he'd launched the pillow across the room at the closed door.

Grace met me in the hall and handed me a pile of clean clothes - black yoga pants, my pink University of Georgia t-shirt, and fresh undergarments.

"You're the BEST big sister ever," I told her. She laughed.

"Figured you were ready for a nice hot shower."

"So ready!" I walked by her and she patted me on the back. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at her, feeling lighter than I had in weeks with my stomach full of food and a hot shower on the horizon. I walked up the stairs, passing T-Dog who greeted me with a huge smile and I smiled back, his positive attitude contagious. I hadn't had much interaction with him but he seemed really friendly and genuine.

"Water's hot...I saved some for ya," he said, winking at me and flashing that big bright smile again.

"You're awesome," I replied, giddy at the thought of a hot shower. I held my fist out to him and he fist bumped me with a laugh.

"Towels are in the closet and toiletries are on the counter," he replied. I nodded thanks and ran the rest of the way up the steps.

I walked into the large bathroom and shut the door, quickly stripping off my nasty clothes from the day, tossing them into a pile on the floor and put my clean clothes on the counter. I looked on the countertop and saw flower-scented shampoo and soap, toothpaste and a set of new toothbrushes, and I nearly screamed with joy. Maggie had even made sure to get razors on her last run to town. I wanted to find her and give her a huge hug!

I made quick work of brushing my teeth, thankful for the water running from the sink, a luxury we hadn't had in the past month. We had depended on creek water to brush our teeth, which still grossed me out. After my teeth were nice and clean, I stood in front of the mirror and inspected my reflection.

My green eyes were kind of dull looking and there were streaks of dirt around my eyes that had settled into wrinkles from where I had been squinting in the sunlight. I look old, I thought to myself, so much older than my 26 years! I shook my head. I took the hair tie out of ponytail and looked at my lifeless limp blonde hair, dry and matted with biter blood and creek water. What a mess, I thought, as I smelled my hair, the smell bringing bile to the back of my throat. No wonder Daryl was so put off, I thought to myself, I look and smell terrible! I shook my head again. "Who cares what he thinks," I muttered out loud to myself.

I went over to the closet and grabbed a towel and washrag, then made my way over to the shower and turned on the water. Once the temperature was to my liking, I stepped in and moaned. "Hot water," I said out loud, "oh how I've missed you." The feeling was overwhelming enough to bring actual tears to my eyes. I laughed out loud as I washed my disgusting hair, quickly washed my body and face, and ran a razor over my legs and armpits, starting to feel human again. I tried to make it as quick as possible so as not to steal all the hot water and hopped out, wrapping the towel around me.

A knock sounded at the door. "Yeah?" I asked. "Who is it?"

"It's me," I heard Grace call through the door. I walked over and opened it to see her standing there smiling. "I came to brush your hair," she said, holding up her brush. I laughed, suddenly feeling nostalgic. When we were little, she and Mama used to comb mine and Claire's hair. It was one of my favorite childhood memories and brought tears to my eyes as I thought about our mom.

"Let me get dried off and I'll be right out," I said with a smile. I closed the door and quickly dried and put on my clean clothes. I opened the door again and let her in, loving that she had offered to do this. I sat on the closed toilet lid as she stood behind me, running the brush through my hair like old times and I sighed with happiness.

"I like it here," she said, breaking the silence. "The women are so nice, especially Lori and Carol. We've really become great friends."

"I like it here, too," I confessed. "I was just telling myself at dinner that I should open up to people and give them a chance...well, except Shane and Andrea..." I said, making a face and Grace laughed.

"Yeah, Marc isn't really sure about Shane either. I think Andrea is perfectly nice. She's just a bad shot." I laughed harshly.

"Understatement. She's the worst," I replied, snickering, still feeling angry with her.

"I notice that you didn't say Daryl was excluded..." Grace said softly, continuing to run the brush through my already combed hair. My face flushed red and I tried to hide it from her, not needing to be razzed any more about Daryl.

"Yeah well...Daryl's...complicated..."

She laughed quietly. "That's because you two are so much alike - mostly, you're both stubborn."

I turned to face her. "Oh he's waaaaay worse than I am! He's so infuriatin', the way he walks around acting like women can't do anything. And he keeps calling me Princess! God that pisses me off. I am far from a princess!" I huffed, my cheeks getting warmer.

"Well, I can tell you like him...I know you better than anyone remember?" I scoffed. "Come on! The way you're going on about him and that country accent is really comin' out like it does when you're flustered!" she joked. "Just saying, Madison..."

"UGH! Whatever...it is not." She laughed harder. I looked up at her and made a face. I could feel the warmth and knew I was blushing furiously, which made me even more flustered. "Whatever! Just...you...I don't...just shut up and keep brushin'!" She put one hand on her hip then winked at me as I turned around again. "You're infuriatin' too, just so you know," I told her one last time.

She laughed and grabbed my hair, tugging it back to her lightly, and tilting my head back so I was looking at her upside down. "Hello pot, my name is kettle."

We both laughed and she went back to brushing.

* * *

Afterwards, Grace and I walked down the stairs. She headed out with Marc to their tent and I knocked on Daryl's door.

"Come in!" he bellowed. I walked in to see Carol sitting in the chair by his bed, both of them smiling at a private joke.

"Hey, Madison," Carol said, her grey eyes twinkling. "Here, have a seat. I was just leaving." She stood up, leaned down and kissed his forehead. My stomach clenched for some reason and I swallowed hard, trying to squash whatever feeling that was. "See y'all later," she said, shutting the door behind her. He looked embarrassed by her affectionate display. I sat down in the chair wondering what there was between them.

"S'matter?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Oh nothing," I said, folding my legs underneath me, slinging my damp hair over my shoulder. What the hell was wrong with me?, I asked myself. Was I jealous?

"Well ya smell better," he said, pulling himself up slightly in bed. He was struggling to sit up and I saw a flash of pain cross his face. Rolling my eyes, I got up and helped him adjust the pillows so he was more comfortable. He half-smiled, also looking slightly annoyed that he needed me, while I helped him get settled back against the pillows. As I stood up straight to make my way back to the chair, he grabbed my wrist, my heart skipping a beat.

"Sit here with me. Now tha' ya smell better, I don' mind bein' this close." I looked at his hand on my wrist, my face starting to heat up, and glanced up at his face. He dropped my arm and gestured to the end of the bed. "I mean, if ya want ta, ya can sit here..." he faded off. I gathered my thoughts, my heart beating faster. He looked adorable for a second, like he was nervous or unsure of himself and I felt a rush in my stomach.

"Well, you still stink, but I guess I can sit here. Just 'cause you asked nicely," I said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He barked a laugh and I smiled at him, confused about this whole new dynamic we had going. "I'll just hold my breath."

"Doc says I can only have a sponge bath tomorrow 'cause of the stitches. Ya wanna volunteer?" He threw me a crooked smile and I started blushing.

"What? No - I - Daryl!" I stuttered as he barked a laugh. I reached over and playfully slapped his leg.

"Damn, princess, I'm jus' kiddin'," he said. "But...I like making ya blush," he admitted. My heart raced faster. "Makes me remember tha' ya are in fact a girl."

I flipped him the bird and he chuckled again. "I am a woman. It's just that I can hunt, drink, and kick ass is all."

He laughed again. "I seen ya take on walkers hand ta hand, so I believe it."

I rolled my eyes and laughed lightly. "You're still high...that's why you're being so damn nice," I accused him.

"So? Maybe ya should jus' enjoy it...Carol was!" He grinned, his smile reaching his eyes.

"So," I said, my stomach flipping, "I have to ask you, since you're high and all, what's up with you and Carol?"

"Huh?" he asked, looking confused. "Me and Carol? We are jus' friends. She's kinda like a sister ta me now...she lost her husband a few weeks ago, which really wasn't a loss, if ya ask me. Then Sophia disappeared..." he trailed off and I felt an odd sense of relief wash over me at his words.

"What was wrong with her husband?" I asked, repositioning myself on the bed next to him, untucking my leg from underneath me and scooting closer to him.

"Asshole used ta beat her up." I inhaled sharply. "Back at our first camp at the quarry, she'd show up at breakfast with bruises. I reckon he woulda done the same to Sophia, or worse if we hadn'ta been aroun'. Walkers got him when they raided our camp. He deserved it." I nodded, actually thankful the walkers got someone so vile. "Plus, she was there for me with the whole Merle thing, too."

"Your brother?" I asked, tilting my head at him.

"Yeah," he said, looking surprised. "He's a prick, but he's my blood. Everyone in our group hated him. Then one day, he went to Atlanta with the group, got into a fight with 'em, got himself handcuffed to a roof by Rick - which he probably deserved - and they left him there when they got overrun by walkers. Then we went to find him and sombitch cut off his own hand to get away. He's out there somewhere - I know he's alive still - ain't no walkers gonna kill my brother. He's too tough." I could tell that Daryl loved his brother, even though he knew he wasn't a good guy. Part of me hoped he would find him alive one day, but the realistic part of me thought it was a lost hope.

We talked for a while longer, with him filling me in more about the group and all that happened up until we met in the woods, from the original camp to the CDC to Sophia running off. I hadn't realized how much they had been through and it made me feel bad for putting up walls this whole time. I didn't offer any of our story because I just wasn't ready to open up to him. I just listened to him talk and asked questions when appropriate.

We stayed up late and when I started to yawn, Daryl laughed. "Keepin' ya up past yer bedtime, Princess?"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I think beauty sleep is a thing of the past," I said, standing up to stretch my legs, putting my arms over my head.

"Well, ya musta gotten plenty before all'a this, 'cause yer still beautiful." My arms fell to my sides and I looked at him to see if he was serious. He was smirking, but it seemed sincere. I laughed, feeling the familiar heat spreading across my cheeks.

"Wha's so funny?" he asked, looking at me like I was crazy.

"You really are high!"

He laughed. "I'm serious...Yer beautiful." He sounded tired and drunk. "Yer a pretty special girl, Madison."

My stomach flipped and my face grew red. "If you think so, then why have you been mean to me this whole time?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

He shrugged. "'Cause I'm an asshole."

I laughed. "True. Maybe we should drug your ass more often, just to make you more pleasant," I joked. He laughed, settling in to his pillows, clearly tired. "I liked talking to you tonight."

He smiled, his eyes drifting shut. "Same here, Princess."

"UGH. Stop calling me Princess." I rolled my eyes.

"Nope," he said, smiling.

I shook my head at him. "Need anything before I leave?" I asked him.

"Why don' ya jus' stay? Ya can sleep in tha chair. I'm sure Hershel and the girls are already asleep...ya don' wanna wake 'em up, do ya?"

I thought about it and made a snap decision. "Okay," I said, "but no funny business, druggie." I grabbed the blanket on the back of the chair, sat down and threw it over me. I propped my feet on the edge of his bed.

He smiled. "Good night, Princess."

"GRRR. Night, HICK." He chuckled and reached over to the bedside table and turned off the light.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke the next morning with a startle when I heard a loud noise. I jumped up, grabbing my knife from beside me and held it at the ready. As my eyes came into focus, I saw Hershel walk into the room, giving me a surprised look as he placed his hand on his chest. I wiped my hand across my face, remembering that I was in the house as I glanced over to see Daryl looking startled as well. I lowered my knife to my side.

"Good mornin', Madison," he said, looking slightly amused as he folded his arms across his chest. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine," I said, my heart still racing. "Sorry," I said. "I forgot where I was and you scared me."

"S'okay," he replied, "it's just a sign of the times, I suppose." He smiled sadly and turned to the bed. "How ya feelin', Daryl?" he asked.

Daryl looked at me for a split second. "Like I got shot," he said, shifting uncomfortably in the bed. Hershel laughed and I rolled my eyes at his attempt at a joke. I walked over to the window seat and grabbed by gun belt, strapping it around my waist and slid my knife into the sheath.

"I told Marc I'd take a look at your side and your head," Hershel said, pulling the covers back. Seeing Daryl's naked torso was enough for me to quickly make my way to the door. I could feel Daryl's eyes on me as I walked across the room.

"I'll be outside," I announced to them both as my face started to flush. "Thank you for your hospitality," I said to Hershel, who nodded at me as I walked out. When I stepped out on the porch, I saw Maggie and Glen in a heated discussion.

"I have to tell them!" Glen said through his teeth, gesturing to the camp and our group.

"No, you don't Glen. It ain't your concern!" Maggie said, borderline hysterical, her hands on her hips.

Glen saw me and swallowed hard. "Madison," he said, stepping around Maggie to approach me. "Hey - good morning. How's Daryl?" I could tell he was nervous and Maggie looked scared.

"Fine, I guess," I replied, wondering what on earth was going on with them. "He's inside with Hershel; you can probably go in and ask him." I gave them both a pointed look. Maggie smiled, looking embarrassed as she turned and walked into the house.

"What's going on Glen?" I asked.

"What?" he asked. "Oh, you mean with Maggie?"

"Yes...with Maggie."

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm gonna go in and check on Daryl. I'll see you later, Madison."

"Okay," I replied as he stepped around me and walked into the house. 'What the hell was that?,' I wondered to myself. 'I'm going to have to ask both of them later.'

I walked down the steps and over to camp where Grace, Carol and Lori were cooking breakfast, laughing and joking.

"Good morning Madison. Did you sleep in the house?" Grace asked I reached them.

I ran my fingers through my hair, brushing out the knots and throwing it up in a ponytail. "Yeah, I slept in the chair in Daryl's room." Carol smiled while Grace and Lori looked confused.

"Our Daryl?" Lori asked, "As in Daryl Dixon?" I nodded, avoiding Grace's gaze. "Huh. Is there something going on with y'all?"

"Hell no," I said. "He's the biggest asshole I've ever met! We were just talking last night is all. He was telling me about y'all before we met...it got late and I didn't wanna wake up Hershel so I slept in the chair." I started to feel the heat rise in my cheeks. I was uncomfortable with their attention and started willing the ground to open up.

Lori still looked confused. "He talked to you?"

"Yeah." I shrugged, trying to brush it off.

"Wait a min - Daryl talks?!" Lori asked. We all laughed at that.

"Don't get too excited," I said, "he was high on pain meds." They laughed and I stepped away from them. "I'm going to change," I said, making my way to the tent I shared with Claire, who was still asleep of course.

I changed into my pink camo pants, a black tank top and my hunting boots. I snatched up my backpack, looking through it to make sure I had everything and tossed it over my shoulder. I turned to leave and nudged Claire on my way out. "Wake up, Claire," I said.

"It's too early!" she mumbled. I shook my head and climbed out of the tent, then walked toward the group gathered by the cars. Rick looked up as I approached and he nodded while Jimmy, Shane, and Marc were waiting for his directions.

"Madison," he said, "ready to head out on the trail?" he asked me.

"Sure," I said, looking up as Daryl joined us.

"Did Hershel clear you to come with us today?" Rick asked him, looking over at Marc, who shrugged.

"I'm fine," he said, wincing as he pulled on his crossbow. "I don' need no doctor tellin' me what ta do." Marc looked at him, but I could tell he had no plans to stop him, knowing that it was a moot point.

"Daryl - " Rick started.

"I said I'm fine," he replied gruffly, glaring at him.

Rick nodded, backing off. "Okay, fine," he told him. "Some headway was made yesterday in the north, so let's get on that trail. I want Daryl, Madison, and Marc to head that way. Shane and Andrea will head toward a neighborhood that Jimmy told us about. Jimmy, Carol, and I will head to the cars again to check for her on the highway. Glen and Maggie are going to make a run for some supplies - anything you need, make a list and give it to 'em. We all clear?" We all nodded and about ten minutes later headed for the woods.

"Hey, Princess," I heard behind me.

I stopped and turned around as Daryl walked up toward me. "Yeah?" I asked.

"Stay off'a my trail today," he mumbled as he walked by. "I don' need yer help."

I sighed. "There's the Daryl we all know," I murmured under my breath. Marc smiled and clapped me on the shoulder as he headed northeast.

The day dragged on and still I found nothing, no sign of Sophia anywhere. Around noon, I changed my direction and headed more northwest. At one point, I crossed Daryl's trail and headed perpendicular to it, just to be sure we didn't run into each other. I thought back to last night. Daryl was so open and funny, the total opposite of his usual closed-off and moody self. He complimented me and was borderline flirty. It made me uneasy, and I couldn't tell if it was because it was him or if I liked it.

I shook the thought out of my head. We're in the middle of the end of the world, I thought to myself, now is not the time to worry about a stupid guy and a potential crush.

I walked a little further, picking up a trail made by a smaller, lighter person. I bent down and felt the dirt. A few days old but I started following it. I walked about a half a mile, then stopped when I saw something just under some leaves. I reached down and moved the leaves and dirt away, seeing a doll. I picked it up and inspected it. Hmm, I thought to myself, I wonder if this could belong to Sophia. I shoved it in my bag, wanting to take it back with me to see if it did belong to the girl.

I heard a twig snap behind me and I whipped around, seeing two biters right behind me.

"Shit!" I said out loud and started off in a sprint to gain some ground on them. I could hear them running behind me, their groans getting further away the faster I ran. There was a whooshing in my ears as my adrenaline kicked into high gear.

I was able to duck behind a thick tree and hid behind it until I heard one coming up on my left. I gripped my knife, my heart thumping in my chest, and when it came up next to me, I jumped out and stabbed it in the eye, the thick squelching sound making me gag. I pulled my knife out and turned to find the other one and saw a blur as I was tackled to the ground. A white flash came through my vision and I felt immediate pain in my head. I screamed as I felt the biter's hot breath on my neck and pushed against it as hard as I could with my left hand, trying to avoid teeth. I brought my right hand up and realized I had dropped my knife. "SHIT!" I said out loud as I used my arms to hold him off of me while I tried to figure out how to get out of this, the pain in my head making me weak.

The next thing I knew, an arrow pierced the biter's eye and he collapsed on top of me. I pushed as hard as I could and sat up. I fell back down, the blinding pain in my head causing me to black out.

When I came to, I saw a face in front of mine and I screamed, flinging my hands out in self-defense. I connected with flesh and heard a grunt.

"DAMNIT WOMAN. Wha' tha hell did ya do tha' for?!" I tried to focus my eyes and saw Daryl sitting there, holding his nose.

"I - I - What happened?" I asked as I looked around and tried to stand up.

"Ya damn punched me!" he yelled out.

"No, I mean - " My head was pounding. "There were biters - two of them - "

"Ya got lazy and stupid," he said. "The hell you thinkin' lettin' yer guard down?"

"What?" I asked. "I was following the trail and I found somethin' - " My head was spinning as I tried to focus on him.

"Yeah, ya foun' trouble! Jus' like a damn woman."

"Daryl - what happened?" I asked as I laid on my side and held my head, trying not to focus on not throwing up.

He heaved a sigh. "Ya got one and the other almost got ya," he said, helping me sit up all the way. "I showed up just in time ta put it down." He reached his hand up to my head and said, "Yer bleedin' pretty good..."

"I'm dizzy and my head hurts," I said, closing my eyes and wishing the world would stop spinning.

"WHOA, hold on there," he said, catching me as I fell over. "Y- mus' have a concussion. The farm is close - lemme help you," he said, putting his arm around my waist and slowly helping me stand up.

"I'm fine. Let go of me," I snarled at him. He released me with a huff and I nearly fell again, my head feeling as though it were disconnected from my body.

"Dammit, Madison. Lemme help ya," he grunted as he put his arm back around me, trying to get me steady on my feet. All I could feel was the pressure of his arm around my waist, which made it hard to concentrate on regaining my balance. "Here, lean on this tree for a minute." He leaned me against the tree and went looking around on the ground.

"Yeah, thanks. Let me stand for a minute," I said as I rested my head against the bark and watched him search the ground. I focused on trying to get the world to stand still. "What are you looking for?" I asked him a minute later.

"Yer knife. Ya mus' have dropped it here somewhere." I concentrated on breathing in and out, the pain in my head pounding and making me feel woozy again. "Ah, found it," I heard him say. He came over and placed it back in my belt. "Get yer bearings and we'll head back," he said, looking around at the woods. I nodded.

A few minutes later, I felt more steady and the pain started to subside some. "I'm good, let's go," I told him quietly.

He grunted as he walked to me and put his arm around my waist, pulling my arm around his shoulders and securing me against his strong side, which made my stomach flutter a little. But surely it was from the fall and head injury, I thought to myself, not from the intimate way he held me against his side with our arms around each other. I pushed that thought from my mind and concentrated on walking.

The farm came into view after about 15 minutes. We made it to the clearing and I heard someone yelling my name. I looked up and saw Grace, Carol, and Lori running to us, but I couldn't focus on their faces, everything was blurry.

"What happened?" Lori asked Daryl. Grace grabbed me on the other side and helped him guide me to the house. I heard Daryl explaining what happened to them as I heard Hershel's voice asking what had happened.

"Pretty sure she has a pretty bad concussion," I heard Daryl tell him as they helped me up the stairs. I couldn't focus my eyes on anything and I felt like I was going to puke at any moment. They took me to the room that Daryl had been in the night before and Grace took my backpack off as Hershel and Daryl laid me on the bed on my left side. I looked over at Grace, her face coming in and out of focus, as one memory came back to me.

"Grace - check my backpack. I found somethin'..." Grace unzipped my bag and pulled out the doll.

I heard Carol gasp and start to cry as Daryl cursed.

"Daryl," I called out, "is it hers? Is it Sophia's?" I asked. His face came in to focus above me.

"Yeah, Princess. I's hers," he said.

I blacked out.


	7. Chapter 7

"She's comin' 'round...looks like she's wakin' up," I heard a male voice.

'Daryl?,' I tried to say out loud, my throat burning and my head fuzzy. 'Daryl, what's going on? Where am I?'

"Good. She's been asleep for a whole day. I was worried about her," a woman said.

'Grace, I'm okay! My head hurts. I'm trying to open my eyes but they're so heavy. My throat is on fire,' I tried again to speak out loud.

"Me too," Daryl replied to her.

"Really? Growin' soft on us? Some people are startin' to think you might have a little thing for her," a second man said.

'Rick. Please tell me what's going on. And what do you mean he has a thing for me?' I tried desperately to ask.

"Hell nah. She's infuriatin'. It's jus' nice ta have some damn help in tha woods s'all," Daryl quickly replied. I wanted to laugh but the sound got stuck behind the frog in my throat.

"Uh-huh. I think there may be more to that," Rick replied. "You have been checkin' up on her a lot."

'Why?' I tried to ask. 'What's wrong with me? Where am I? Why can't I open my eyes? Why can't I speak?'

"Man, whatever. I jus' wanna make sure she's okay."

I was over this. I needed answers. I needed to see, to speak. 'Come on, Madison!' I screamed to myself, my eyes and throat burning.

"Look!" Grace exclaimed. "Her eyes are fluttering."

I swallowed hard and forced my eyes open, squinting against the bright light and tried to focus on who was in the room.

"Madison?" a third male voice said. Suddenly, Marc's face came into focus, standing over me.

"Where - where am I?" I asked, trying to sit up, a little panicked.

"Whoa, now," Marc said, "be careful. You have a concussion." He grabbed my arm and helped me sit up in bed and lean back against the headboard as Grace fixed and fluffed the pillows behind me. "You were attacked by walkers in the woods. You didn't get bit, but did get a pretty nasty head injury. Daryl saved you and brought you back here. Do you remember anything?"

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, my head throbbing. "No - not really. Can I have some water, please?" I asked. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. Grace was sitting in the chair next to the bed, and Hershel, Daryl, and Rick were around the foot of the bed. It was dark outside, the only light was coming from the lamp on the bedside table.

"Sure absolutely. Here," Marc said as he handed me a glass of water from the bedside table. I gulped the water, thankful for the coolness as it eased the burning in my throat, clearing it so I was free to talk again.

"Thank you," I said as I rested the glass on my lap. I glanced up at Daryl, the look on his face one of concern and something else I couldn't make out. "What happened?"

Rick came over and sat on the bed, grabbing my hand. "Madison, you have done a great job," he said. "You found Sophia's doll in the woods, not far from here. You have given us hope in finding her," he said, squeezing my hand as he smiled brightly at me.

I nodded, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. I wiped it away, mad at myself for crying yet again. I swallowed hard. "I remember going into the woods and then I tracked back north and crossed Daryl's path, then I picked up on a trail...but I don't remember anything after that."

Marc nodded and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "You have some memory loss, but that should come back soon enough. Let me take a look at you then you can rest some more."

"Thanks again, Madison," Rick said, giving my hand another squeeze.

"Sure," I replied, "any time."

"Get some good rest. We need you healthy," he replied. I nodded and he smiled and left the room.

Marc got to work evaluating me. He shined a light in my eyes and gave me three words to remember. "Watermelon, yellow, and Daryl" he said. I rolled my eyes. "Well you can still roll those eyes, so that's good." Grace laughed as she picked up my hand and held it tightly. Marc checked my gag reflex, my vision, had me turn my head from side to side, and then asked me what words he gave me to remember.

I thought for a few seconds.

"Watermelon...um...yellow...and...redneck asshole." Hershel shook his head as Grace and Marc laughed.

"Well, ya din' lose tha' sense'a humor," Daryl mumbled. I gave him a weak smile.

"Well I think you'll be okay," Marc said. "You need to rest overnight, then take it easy for a few days. Grace and Claire will sleep in here with you tonight. She'll have to wake you up every few hours just to be sure you're okay. Don't need you sleeping too much and getting any worse." I nodded as she squeezed my hand tighter. I smiled at her.

"I'll have Patricia bring you some food, water, and pain meds. You let us know if you need anything," Hershel said, coming over to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Hershel," I said, reaching up to squeeze his arm. "You have been a Godsend." He smiled and patted my hand, then walked out with Marc.

Grace moved to sit on my bed. "Maddie, you gave me a scare," she said, smoothing my hair. "When Daryl was walking you out of the woods, I thought for sure you were bit. There was a lot of blood and you were in and out of consciousness. It scared me..." she said, looking down as tears fell down her face.

"Gracie," I said, putting my hand on her arm, holding back my own tears as a lump formed in my throat, "I'm fine." She leaned over and hugged me tight. I looked over her shoulder at Daryl.

Thank you, I mouthed to him. He nodded and went to leave the room, still limping slightly.

"Daryl, wait," I said, as Grace broke the hug and touched my cheek. He stopped at the door. " I love you, Gracie," I said, as she kissed my cheek. She stood up and gave me a smile as she walked out the door.

Daryl stood by the door and looked at me. I suddenly felt nervous.

"Daryl...I just wanted to say thank you. I don't remember what happened, but I guess I owe you."

"Yeah well, ya helped me tha other day. Plus, we couldn' afford ta lose another one'a tha' group. And tha way I see it, ya found Sophia's doll; figure ya migh' be one hell'a tracker after all." He smirked as I laughed, my head giving a small throb.

"Daryl Dixon giving me a compliment? Too bad there aren't witnesses..."

"Hell no...and if ya tell anyone, I'll deny it." I laughed. He smirked.

"Thanks again," I said, leaning into the pillow, feeling tired.

"'Course," he said. He gave me a small smile and wave a left.

* * *

The next day, I felt good enough to have a quick shower, with help from Grace to wash the blood out of my hair, and ventured back outside to our camp. I arrived just in time for breakfast and took a seat between Grace and Claire, the latter putting her arms around me in greeting.

"The tent was lonely without you," Claire said, giving me a sad look. Surprised by her emotion, I gave her a tight hug.

"Love you, Claire-bear." She smiled at me, returning to her eggs. Carol brought me a plate and smiled. "Thanks Carol."

"Course," she said, lightly patting my hair. I smiled up at her. Carl, Lori, and T-Dog all smiled at me from the other side of Claire, all of us facing the fire in a semi-circle. I looked around and saw Dale and Glen on watch on top of the RV and Rick standing off to the side with Daryl.

"Good to see you up and about," Shane said as he walked over and sat across the fire from me, clearly checking me out again, glancing down at the cutoff jean shorts and tight-fitting black tank top I was wearing. I wish I had worn something else, but it was hot and I knew I wasn't going into the woods, so I opted for comfort.

I ignored the look, not wanting to play into his clear attraction.

"It's good to be up and about," I replied, shrugging my shoulders and trying to look anywhere else.

Daryl came and sat next to Shane, shooting me a brief smile which I returned.

"Yeah, I can tell you're the type of girl that likes to be active. You're definitely fit," Shane replied. Daryl glanced over at him, shooting him a dirty look when he saw Shane's eyes roving over my legs. Daryl looked over at me and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Shane's advances were most definitely not welcome and I was overcome with the urge to make sure Daryl knew that. Daryl nodded at me, seeming to pick up on my discomfort with Shane's attention.

"Yeah, she's fit. We get it," Daryl said under his breath. "Who cares?" T-Dog coughed and I glanced over at him as he smiled at me behind his coffee cup. Lori grinned at me and Carl just looked confused.

"I'm just sayin'," Shane replied, "I really appreciate it...I think all the men here do," he said to Daryl, nudging his arm. Daryl glared at him, but Shane missed it, his eyes returning to me.

I could feel anger rising in my chest and my face starting to flush, truly hating chauvinistic men. I put my plate down and turned my full attention to Shane.

"I do it for myself, no one else," I replied rudely, throwing him a nasty look. "And I'd appreciate it if you would just shut up."

"So, it looks like it's going to be a pretty day," Grace said out loud, changing the subject. Lori nodded emphatically, looking thankful for her interjection. Shane looked confused and a little embarrassed.

Rick approached the group and sat on the other side of Shane. "Yeah, it's pretty clear. Looking to be a nice one." Claire snorted into her plate and I glanced over at her, smirking as I shook my head.

We were joined by the others soon after as we all ate around the fire together. I looked around at everyone...all of us in one place and pretty content...safe. I relaxed for a brief moment before I noticed Glen was pacing at the edge of the group and shooting looks at Dale. I glanced at Dale, who nodded to him.

"Glen?" I spoke up, shooting a look in his direction. "What's wrong?"

His head snapped up and looked at me. "Um...well..." he looked at Dale, who nodded, "Guys...so..." We all looked at him, most of us still eating. "Ummm..." he looked toward the house and I followed his glance to see Maggie who was standing on the porch with her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "Thebarnisfullofwalkers."

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, my empty plate falling to the ground.

"WHAT?!" I heard Shane yell, and looked over to see him jumping to his feet. "What did you say?"

"There are walkers...in the barn..." Glen said, looking down at the ground. My heart sank. He couldn't be serious.

For a moment, no one moved or spoke. Then with lightning speed, we all jumped up, breakfast forgotten, and made our way quickly to the barn. I stood next to Daryl and Carol with Grace, Marc, and Claire behind us. Shane walked up and peered inside, making the biters snarl and push against the door. He jumped back, storming toward us.

"You cannot be okay with this!" he snarled at Rick. Part of me agreed with him. This was insane.

"I'm not, but this is not our farm. Hershel obviously has them there for a reason, it's not our place to tell him otherwise," Rick replied, calmly. I agreed with that statement too.

"We can't ignore this!" Andrea spoke up, coming to Shane's defense.

"What we gotta do is leave. We've been talking about Fort Benning for a while, we just have to go." Shane said emphatically to Rick. I stepped closer, Daryl placing his hand on my arm. No, we couldn't leave yet!, I thought to myself.

Lori put her hand on Carl's shoulder, as Carl said, "But, Sophia..."

"We can't GO," Rick replied angrily. I nodded, agreeing with Rick wholeheartedly.

"Why?!" Shane yelled, throwing his hands in the air. They were suddenly so angry at each other and I wanted so desperately to run and stand between them, pushing Shane away from Rick. Daryl's grip on my wrist tightened.

"Because my daughter is still out there somewhere, we have to find her!" Carol spoke up. I put my other hand on her arm, trying to comfort her.

"We are not leaving Sophia behind," Rick said, holding his hands up at Carol before turning back to Shane.

Shane scoffed, rubbing his hands roughly over his face in frustration. "Okay, Carol," he said, sarcastically, putting his hands together as he gestured to her, his face dripping with sweat and sarcasm, "I think we should all just start to accept the fact that she's probably dead."

I felt my blood begin to boil and my head was pounding. "HEY!" I said, taking a step toward him, wrenching my arm loose from Daryl's grasp, my chest and face bright red from the anger now coursing through my veins. "You don't have to be such an asshole about this! Daryl and I have been busting our asses to find her and we are damn close!" Shane glared at me, taking a step in my direction.

"Yeah," Daryl said, stepping up next to me, looking just as pissed as I felt. "Madison jus' found her doll jus' yesterday. We been on her trail for days!" I nodded, thankful that Daryl was defending me.

"YEAH - A DOLL, Daryl...she found a fucking DOLL!" Shane retorted, his eyes huge and crazy looking.

"Man - you don' know what tha FUCK yer talking about," Daryl yelled, swinging his arms wildly in the air. I put my hand on his bicep and pulled him back. He pulled out of my grasp and stalked away. Shane started going on about the first 48 hours, while Daryl yelled about combing the woods and finding her trail. Rick stepped between Shane and Daryl with his arms out, trying to separate them. They were yelling over each other, both arguing their point, and my head throbbed even more. Marc came over and put his arm around my shoulders, trying to get me to calm down too.

Rick got Daryl mostly calmed down while Shane carried on. "If she saw Madison, who she don't even know, covered in walker blood, stumbling around with a god damn head wound, with a freaking' concussion, or Daryl, limping through the woods covered in blood and shit, she'd turn and run the hell away! Y'all are wasting your fucking time looking for a girl who you ain't gonna ever find!"

"SCREW YOU!" I yelled. Daryl and I both lunged for Shane at the same time, my fist ready to connect with his face or anything I could get my hands on. Marc grabbed me around the waist, Rick pushed Daryl away, while T-Dog ran over in front of him. Lori grabbed Shane's arm and Glen stood in the middle of it all. I could hear Carol sobbing somewhere behind us and I got angrier.

"You gonna punch me, sweetheart?" Shane asked, trying to get in my face. I started to kick and reach for him, trying desperately to get away from Marc, while Daryl tried to get past Rick and T-Dog again. Glen pushed Shane back while Lori and Dale pulled his arms. Shane flung them off, storming away a few feet, continuing to pace.

I glanced over at Carol who continued to cry and Grace put her arms around her. Marc kept his arms around my waist while Daryl continued to pace, T-Dog standing between him and Shane, on alert.

"We have to calm down, here," Rick said, breathing hard. "Let me talk to Hershel and we'll figure it out."

"What is there to figure out?!" Shane asked, lunging toward Rick, only to be shoved back by Lori and Glen.

"If we're going to stay...if we're going to kill these walkers, I have to talk to him first. This is HIS FARM," Rick said emphatically.

Dale spoke up. "I talked to Hershel yesterday. He thinks the walkers are still people - sick people. This barn is full of his friends, his neighbors...and his wife and stepson." Shane started yelling at Dale about him knowing and not telling anyone, which further pissed me off, and I struggled against Marc again.

"Why don't you just shut the HELL UP AND LISTEN TO RICK?!" I screamed, my head feeling as though it would explode. The barn doors started rattling more, causing all of us to turn our attention to the barn.

"I'm going to talk to Hershel," Rick said calmly. "If it makes everyone feel better, we can post two people here as lookouts just in case." Shane stormed off, Andrea following him. Marc let go of me and I had to fight the urge to follow Shane and beat the shit out of him, wanting nothing more than to punch his lights out.

"You good?" Marc asked. I nodded, wiping the sweat off my forehead. "I'll take first watch," Marc said, as Daryl stormed off to the stable, Carol following him.

"I'll stay with you," T-Dog said.

"I'm going to see what Daryl's doing," I said to Grace.

"Madison - you can't go off the farm. You have a concussion. Daryl shouldn't either - Marc and Hershel have side-lined you both," Grace said. "They were pissed that Daryl went out the day you got hurt...but if he hadn't...regardless, neither of you should be in the woods."

I rolled my eyes. "We ain't going anywhere..." I headed after Daryl and Carol.

When I got to the stable, I saw Daryl struggling to get a saddle ready, breathing heavily.

"We don't even know if we're going to find her, Daryl," I heard her say and my heart sank. Shane's words had gotten to her and the last thing she needed was to lose hope. Daryl looked at her. "I don't know..." she faded off.

"What tha hell do ya mean?" he asked. He stepped toward her and I walked closer, unsure what he was going to say or do.

"We can't lose you too," she whispered. He walked toward her, looking pissed and I stood ready to react. He stared at her hatefully for a second, then turned quickly and threw the saddle. He gasped and doubled over in pain. Carol rushed over and put her hand on his back. He shrugged her off, yelling at her to leave him alone.

I walked into the stable. "Daryl, are you okay?" I asked, pretending as though I didn't hear their conversation.

"Leave me the hell alone...both of you. Stupid bitches..." he said as he stood up and stormed past us, leaving the stable.

'I'm sorry,' I mouthed to Carol, and I turned to run after Daryl.

"DARYL!" I said, chasing him. He kept walking toward the woods, picking up his crossbow where he had put it outside the stable. "Stop for a second," I hollered after him, my head still pounding out a rhythm. He made it to the edge of the woods, then stopped, bending over and obviously winded. I reached him and waited for him to catch his breath.

"What you want, Madison?" he asked, not bothering to look up.

"I wanted to thank you for standing up to Shane."

He stood up and looked at me. "Shane's a douchebag. He was wrong o'bout Sophia and I'm fixin' to show him." He slung his crossbow onto his back and turned to the woods. "You with me?" he asked without turning around.

I smiled, patting my belt which held my knife and handgun. "Yep."

We headed into the woods on the hunt for Sophia.


	8. Chapter 8

Without speaking, we walked back toward the spot where I found the doll with Daryl leading the way, my head still throbbing slightly as I trekked behind him, eyes peeled for danger. When we arrived at the scene of my injury, I bent to the ground looking at the dead walkers and the spot where I fell and hit my head on a random bolder. I raised my hand to the side of my head, touching the spot that was still sore to the touch when I had a sudden flashback to swinging and connecting with a live person. I looked up at Daryl.

"Shit. I'm sorry!" I said, standing up, my face turning red.

He looked at me, confused by my apology. "Bout wha'?" he asked, scanning the woods quickly, crossbow up and ready.

"I - I punched you. You were trying to help me and I punched you. I'm so sorry!" I felt mortified.

He smirked. "S'okay. Ya was defendin' yerself. Thought I was a walker. 'Sides, it din't hurt tha' much."

I smirked at him, putting my hands on my hip. "Yeah well, I woulda hit harder, if I didn't have a damn concussion," I smarted off at him.

"Honestly," he said, stepping toward me, lowering his crossbow as he reached out a hand and pushed a piece of my hair back from my face, making my breath catch in my throat, "ya don' hit so bad...for a girl." He smirked at me.

I groaned and stepped away, my face bright red and my heart racing from his close proximity. "Whatever, Dixon. I take back that apology." I shot him a dirty look.

He laughed, a real genuine laugh, and I found myself laughing too. He was really hot when he let his guard down and stopped scowling so damn much. His smile lit up his face and reached his gorgeous blue eyes. I felt a pit form in my stomach as I looked at him, his biceps visible in his torn sleeves, his eyes raking over me as he continued to smile at me. I shook my head and looked away.

"Let's head this way," I said, suddenly wanting to run away from him and my thoughts.

He swallowed hard, shaking his head slightly and agreed, bringing his crossbow back up. "Damn woman," he said, "get yer damn knife ready jus' in case. Be smart, will ya?"

And then that mouth, I thought, wanting to punch him again.

He walked past me and I couldn't help but watch the fluid way he moved, his arms rippling and his back muscles flexed under his tight t-shirt. I forced myself to look away, paying better attention to our surroundings so we wouldn't be caught off guard.

We walked a few more minutes before Daryl held up his hand, signaling to me that he found something.

"Look," he said, throwing his crossbow to his back, pulling a patch of cloth from the underbrush. He held it up and showed it to me. It was a ragged piece of blue cloth, likely torn from a shirt of some sort. It had dark red blood spots on it, as well, showing that it was a few days old - likely about a week. "Sophia's shirt was blue." He looked upset, gripping the cloth tightly and I fought the urge to hug him, instead placing my hand on his arm. He stiffened, looking at me warily. I looked into his blue eyes, a little misty with tears that he wouldn't let fall.

"It might be hers, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It means that she was closer to the farm than we originally thought. Maybe she fell and got cut and that's why there's blood on this piece of cloth. Maybe she made it to one of the neighbor's. We have to keep faith, Daryl." He relaxed under my touch and I pulled my hand away. He brought his other hand up to wipe his eyes, determined not to show me upset he was. He tucked the cloth into the pocket of his shirt.

I turned to pick up the trail when he grabbed my arm, spinning me back to him. I looked at him warily, unable to read his expression.

"Madison," he started, suddenly losing his words. "I...I..." I was thoroughly confused, my heart beating wildly, my throat suddenly dry. What is he trying to say?, I wondered to myself. He stared into my eyes.

Before I could register what was happening, he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me to him, crushing his lips against mine.

My first impulse was to push him away, stunned that he was kissing me...

Instead, I found myself dropping my knife and throwing my arms around his waist, pulling him to me so that our bodies were pressed together. I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss, feeling his tongue run along the inside of my lip. He tasted like tobacco and mint, smelled like woods, sweat and man. I moaned as he kissed me harder, tangling his tongue with mine, his hands holding my face as I grasped his shirt in my fists.

Just as quickly as the kiss began, it ended.

Daryl stepped back and looked at me, confusion in his handsome features. I was confused, as well as completely turned on, wanting to kiss him again.

"We should head back ta tha farm," he said, suddenly, bending over to pick up my knife. "Ask Hershel 'bout his neighbors, get a good grip on which houses ta hit."

I nodded in agreement, my lips still tingling from his kiss. "Ye-yeah," I replied, taking the knife from him. "Sounds like a plan."

He turned and headed back toward the farm; I followed quietly, totally confused about what just happened.

* * *

When we got back to the clearing at the farm, we saw Shane coming from the woods not far from us, the bag of guns slung over his shoulder.

"Wha' tha...?" Daryl asked under his breath. "Dale was supposed ta be watchin' those and Rick said Hershel din't want anyone else carryin' guns..."

"This will not end well," I replied, as we quickened our pace, following Shane toward the house. I saw Glen and Maggie sitting on the front steps, Beth, Patricia, Claire, and Carl sitting on the porch playing chess. "Where's Dale?" I asked when we got to them.

"No idea," Glen said. "He's not on the RV?"

"He's on his way," Shane growled, putting the sheriff bag down, unzipping it and rummaging through the guns and ammo. Andrea and T-Dog walked up to the house behind us from the camp.

"Anyone seen Rick?" Andrea asked. "We were supposed to go look for Sophia a few hours ago," she said.

I shook my head, worried about Dale, especially since Shane looked out of control and had the bag Dale was supposed to be keeping. Lori, Carol, and Grace came outside from the house, all looking confused about what was happening. I looked around, realizing Marc must be guarding the barn.

"Madison and I went on tha trail. Foun' this," Daryl said, pulling the cloth from his pocket. Grace shot me a look, clearly pissed that I had left the farm against Marc's orders and threw her hands on her hips as she eyed me. I looked away sheepishly.

"From Sophia's shirt?" Carl said, coming down the steps to take it followed by Carol. Daryl nodded and glanced over at me. Carl handed the piece of cloth to Carol, who looked close to tears as she brought it to her face.

"What are you doing with the guns?" Lori asked Shane, who was again pacing.

"I thought we couldn't carry," T-Dog said.

"Oh we can and we will," Shane replied, handing a shotgun to T-Dog, one to Daryl, who took it, looking over at me. "You got one?" he asked, and I nodded, pulling mine out of my waistband, wondering where he was going with this. He looked at Andrea, who also showed him the handgun she grabbed in anticipation of searching for Sophia.

Everyone was now standing on the front yard, watching Shane walk back and forth.

"It was one thing to sit around and act like everything was honky-dory when we thought this place was safe, but now we know it ain't, what with that damn walker-filled barn." He handed a shotgun to Glen and asked, "You gonna protect us?" Glen took it as he looked at Maggie, who looked torn.

"If my dad sees y'all carryin', he's gonna make you leave. Probably right away - tonight," Maggie said to Shane, clearly very upset.

"Well," he said intently, "Hershel - man - Hershel is going to have to understand. He has no choice but to understand." He grabbed another handgun from the bag and approached Carl, kneeling down and said, "Now, you take this. Don't be afraid. You do whatever it takes to protect yourself and your mom, no matter what." I stepped closer despite Daryl's look telling me to stand down.

Lori stormed over and stepped between them. "Rick said no guns!" she said, poking him in the chest. "This is not your farm and this is not your call!" Shane stood up and got in her face as I stepped over to get between them, my instinct to protect Lori, as I pushed her behind me and stood as tall as I could to Shane, ready to hit him.

"OH SHIT! What the HELL?!" I heard T-Dog say. We all turned to look and saw Jimmy, Rick and Hershel coming out of the woods, two biters on catch poles.

Shane pushed past me and took of at a full sprint and we all quickly ran after him.

What the hell is this?, I wondered to myself as we ran. I could hear Daryl running beside me, both of us a little slow from our injuries.

When we all got to the barn, which was where Hershel and Rick were headed, I heard Shane yelling. "What the hell is this?!"

"Why are your people carrying guns?!" Hershel yelled at Rick, struggling with the biter he had on the pole, who was desperately trying to get to Jimmy who I feared was standing too close. I flipped the safety off my gun, ready to put the biters down if needed.

"Are you kiddin' me? Are you serious?! Do you see what you're holding onto?!" Shane screamed at Hershel. We all stopped in a half circle, watching the scene unfold.

I stood on the front line beside Daryl and I saw Marc come up, confusion across his face, as he stood between Grace and the biter Rick had, holding his gun at his side and his other arm out. Lori held Carl back, as Patricia, Beth, and Claire stood back with them, behind T-Dog, Andrea, and Glen. Maggie stood behind her father, her hands covering her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I see who I'm holding onto!" he replied. "This is one of my neighbors and she's SICK!"

Shane screamed, "ARE FREAKIN' YOU KIDDIN' ME?!"

"SHANE!" Rick yelled. "Back off and let's talk!" He was struggling with the biter he had and I was ready to shoot it dead if necessary.

"Man, you're just as crazy as he is!" Shane yelled. He turned to Hershel. "They ain't sick! They ain't people anymore, they're DEAD! These things are dangerous! They KILL - They EAT PEOPLE! They're the things that got Amy!" I watched as Andrea nodded, thinking of her sister.

I found myself agreeing with Shane, but just on the fact that biters are not sick and they were dangerous. I thought about my parents, tears filling my eyes.

"They killed Otis," Shane went on, "and they want to kill us!" I saw T-Dog nodding in agreement.

"Shane, just STOP!" Rick screamed, still struggling with his biter.

"Lemme ask you somethin' Hershel," Shane said, removing his gun from his back pocket. I let out a yelp, unsure what Shane was going to do. Daryl put his hand on my arm as if to hold me back. "If she was alive and just sick, would she be able to walk away from this?!" He aimed his gun at the biter Hershel was holding and shot her in the chest four times, as Hershel, Rick, Jimmy, Maggie and Beth all shouted.

"HUH?!" Shane asked, clearly losing it. "Would a living, breathing person be able to survive being shot point blank four times center mass? HUH?! Why is she still coming?" he screamed, shooting her two more times. Hershel looked terrified.

"Shane, STOP!" I yelled. "STOP NOW!" I hated to see Hershel and his family's reaction, knowing they hadn't seen the terrors out in the world yet.

"Shane! That's enough!" Rick yelled, still holding on to the pole.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, "That is ENOUGH!" he yelled, walking up to the biter and shooting her in the head. She fell to the ground, followed by Hershel, who was clearly in shock. The original farm group looked shocked and the rest of us put our heads down in shame at Shane's outburst.

But he wasn't done.

"Enough..." he said, "looking for a little girl WHO'S GONE!" he screamed, looking at Carol, Daryl, and myself. I could feel my face turning red with anger and saw Daryl's face flash. "ENOUGH living next to a barn full of these things that are trying to KILL US! If y'all wanna LIVE...if y'all wanna SURVIVE...we gotta take care of this...right HERE, right NOW!" he screamed, his face contorted in anger.

He grabbed an ax and turned to the barn. Marc made a move to stop him, but was grabbed by Grace.

"Hershel!" Rick yelled. "Hershel, come take this pole!" he screamed at the old man, who was on his knees, staring in complete shock at what was unfolding. "HERSHEL! Grab this so I can stop him!"

Shane broke the lock, pulled the chain off the barn and with a crazed look in his eyes, he knocked on the door and stepped back. I heard the groans as the barn door opened and the first biter stepped out. T-Dog, Andrea, Shane, and Marc stepped up first, raising their guns and started shooting. As more biters came out, Daryl grabbed my arm and pulled me forward and we started shooting too. I saw Glen step up next to me and start shooting as well.

More and more came out of the barn...so many I lost count.

I saw Shane turn and shoot the biter Rick was holding and I looked over to see Rick drop the pole, looking defeated. The sound of shots and screaming filled the air, as biters went down and the group behind us cried at the horrific scene before them. My head was pounding with a headache from all the noise, but I forced myself to focus on protecting my group. Finally, Daryl took the last shot, putting down what was once a teenager.

The silence was deafening.

Twenty-five walkers in all, I thought as I did a quick count.

The cries from the living filled the air and I turned to look at Hershel, who was completely in shock, on his knees with tears streaming down his face while Maggie sobbed and hugged him from behind.

Patricia stood with Jimmy, both of their arms around Beth who was hysterical. Carl was on the ground being consoled by Lori, who looked shocked and angry. Rick looked tired and defeated. Carol was hugging herself. My sisters were hugging each other. I saw Dale walk up, a look of confusion and anger written on his face. Thank God, he's okay, I thought to myself.

We had just put our guns down when we heard a noise from the barn. Another biter, I thought, turning back to the barn with my gun raised. Everyone turned to look, also readying themselves for what was to come.

Out stepped another biter: a young girl, squinting her eyes at the sun. About 12 years old. Blonde hair. Around 80 lbs. Wearing a torn blue shirt with a rainbow on it.

No...no...I thought to myself, tears filing my eyes and spilling down my cheeks. I felt Daryl move closer to me and I glanced over to him briefly, sadness and pain written on his face.

Everyone stood in quiet shock, except Carol, who gasped out loud.

"Sophia," she whispered. She made a quick move toward what was once her daughter and tried to run by Daryl and myself. Daryl reached out and grabbed her around the waist, both of them falling to the ground. I heard Carl sob behind me. "Oh, Sophia," Carol cried out.

Sophia stepped over the other biters, growling and groaning at us, snapping her jaws with hunger. Shane looked down at the ground and none of us made a move, all completely lost in our grief over the loss of this young girl we had been searching for all over the countryside.

I let out a sob for the girl I never met, but had hoped to reunite with her mother. Daryl reached out and pulled me down to join Carol, putting his arm around my shoulders, as he held Carol in his lap with his other arm.

Rick stepped past us as Carol continued to sob. I tried to hold in my hysterics for her sake. Daryl squeezed me to him.

Rick stepped closer...he raised his gun...hesitated...then pulled the trigger.

The sound made me jump as I watched Sophia drop to the ground.

I knew then, as I heard people crying all around me, that things with our group would never be the same.


	9. Chapter 9

Rick lowered his gun, his expression full of emotion as he turned to look at Daryl, Carol, and me, then looked over Lori and Carl before handing his head. I wanted to go over and hug him, understanding exactly how he felt at the moment, thinking about my dad. I glanced over and saw that Shane had the gall to look upset, like the devastation all around us wasn't his fault. 'Asshole,' I thought to myself, 'this is all your fault and I hope you feel like a complete douche bag.'

I felt Carol sobbing next to me and I put my hand on her shoulder as Daryl hugged us both tighter to him. He looked over the top of Carol's head at me, a concerned look on his face, his blue eyes bright with tears that hadn't yet fallen. I had no words of comfort to offer either one of them, my own emotions still unprocessed. I stood up, moving out of his one-armed embrace, feeling the familiar butterflies I'd felt the past few times we had contact.

As I stood, Carol suddenly pushed him away and Daryl fell back on his ass. She stumbled to her feet, tears streaming down her face, and ran toward the RV. We all watched her run, none of us moving to follow her, all of us knowing she needed to be alone. Tears welled up in my eyes. It hurt losing my parents, but I couldn't imagine losing a child, especially in the way that Carol lost Sophia. Grace came over and hugged me tightly as Daryl stood there watching Carol run, his shoulders slumping slightly. I squeezed my sister and stepped back from her embrace.

I looked around to see Claire on her knees behind Lori and Carl, her hands on Lori's shoulders as she held a crying Carl on her lap. Hershel was still on his knees, Maggie standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder as she silently cried. Jimmy was holding Beth while Patricia stood next to them, tears rolling down her cheeks. Marc, Andrea, T-Dog, Dale, and Glen stood in a semi circle, surveying the bodies littering the ground.

Beth's sobs increased as she pulled out of Jimmy's arms and ran toward her mother, who was laying on the ground close to me. My heart broke, watching as she gently turned her over. She knelt down next to her and started to move her hair out of her face. My tears spilled over onto my cheeks, completely understanding every sob wrenched from her chest.

Before I could register what was happening, Beth's mother growled and grabbed Beth by her hair.

"SHIT," I screamed, stepping away from Grace and running to Beth. I grabbed Beth by her arms, as Rick grabbed her waist, the two of us trying to pull her out of her biter-mother's grip. Daryl ran over and started kicking Annette while T-Dog and Glen were pulling on Annette's arms, trying desperately to break her strong grip on her daughter.

We finally pulled Beth free and Rick and I both fell backwards, with Beth falling on top of me in a heap as all my air was forced from my lungs. I rolled us to the side and tried to shield her from what was going on, my head pounding out a nauseating beat from the fall. I looked over my shoulder to see Annette trying to bite Glen, who was still trying to keep her at arm's length as Rick jumped to his feet. Daryl grabbed his knife off his belt and quickly stabbed her in the head, swearing loudly before he fell to the ground as well. I let out a ragged sigh, thankful that we had prevented another unnecessary death but also understanding Beth's mourning her mother a second time as my tears continued to fall.

I sat up as Hershel and Maggie rushed over and pulled Beth from the ground next to me, who was still sobbing hysterically, her words not making any sense. Jimmy and Patricia stood behind them, Patricia putting her arms around Jimmy who was barely holding it together.

I could hear Carl crying again. Grace made her way over to Lori and Carl, sitting down on the ground next to them, focusing her attention on Carl, telling him something I couldn't make out. Claire sat down as well, rubbing Carl's back. I watched as Rick glanced over at Shane, who looked pissed as he rubbed the back of his head.

Hershel put his arms around his girls, leading them back toward the house, Patricia, Jimmy and Glen following behind them. Shane turned from the barn and started after them, Rick jogging to catch up. I heard Shane going on about Sophia being in the barn, asking Hershel if he knew the whole time, and I had to resist the urge to run over and punch him in the mouth.

Instead, I walked over to stand by T-Dog, putting my arm around his waist as he pulled me to his side in a friendly hug. Daryl looked over at me, his face asking if I was okay. I nodded as he turned away, heading in the same direction as Carol. I leaned into T-Dog and closed my eyes as he hugged me tighter, knowing we both needed this comfort.

Everyone else stood around, still astonished by what just happened.

"She was so young," Andrea said softly, kicking at a rock on the ground. "We were all hoping that she'd still be alive. Poor Carol."

I felt a tear drip down my cheek. "I'll be right back," I said, giving T-Dog a quick squeeze before moving toward the barn.

I walked inside and saw a shelf with blankets on it. 'Bingo,' I thought to myself as I grabbed it. I made my way back out to Andrea, who still stood over Sophia. Andrea gave me a half smile as we both kneeled to the ground, covering her small body with the blanket, both of us crying silently.

I looked up to see Jimmy, Rick and Shane making their way back from the house. Shane looked so angry. I still wanted to punch his big, stupid nose.

Rick stopped to talk to Lori, who asked Grace to take Carl back to the tent. My sister agreed and grabbed the young boy's hand. She gestured to Claire, who quickly got up and grabbed his other hand and they walked together back to camp.

"Let's have a quick meeting," Rick said, as we all gathered in a circle. I looked around at Andrea, T-Dog, Jimmy, Dale, Shane, Lori, Rick, and Marc; we all wore our grief on our faces. Rick looked so put out.

I quickly spoke up. "We dig a grave for Sophia," I announced, putting my hands in my back pockets, looking around at all of them, "and one for Annette and for Sean, over by the trees next to Otis' memorial." They all nodded. "We'll need a truck to move the rest of the bodies."

Jimmy spoke up. "I'll go get the truck."

Shane stopped him. "No, I'll get it." He walked off in a huff and I rolled my eyes.

"What about the others?" Jimmy asked. "That's a lot of graves to dig."

"We bury the ones we love," Rick replied, "and burn the rest." We all nodded and dispersed, Andrea and I heading to the barn to get shovels, while T-Dog and Jimmy started getting the bodies ready.

I overheard Lori and Rick's conversation from my spot in the barn.

"Hershel wants us off the farm," Rick said. "Definitely Shane."

"That's no surprise," Lori replied quietly.

Rick sighed. "She was there. This whole time. I had good people out there lookin' for her. Daryl and Madison both got hurt. It's all my fault. She got lost and bit, and it's all on me. "All these people are countin' on me, and I keep messin' up - I can't keep doing this. "

I peeked outside to see Rick walking away and Lori looked down at the ground. I felt really bad for Rick and silently wished Lori would run after him and assure him he was doing all he could. But she didn't and I wondered why the hell not.

* * *

When we finished loading the bodies and Jimmy, Shane, T-Dog, and Andrea went to dig graves, I made my way back to camp. I walked by the RV saw Carol and Grace through the window, so I decided to stop in.

"I'll be back," I said to Lori, who had just sat at the picnic table with Carl and Claire. I smiled at Claire as she was helping Carl with his schoolwork and she smiled back. I was pleasantly surprised by Claire's change of heart recently. She was a lot better about all of this and was actually starting to help around camp.

I walked up the stairs of the RV to see Grace and Carol sitting at the table, both with cups of water in front of them. Daryl sat against the counter across from them, the latter nodding at me as I walked in. Carol looked at me and turned away. Grace gave me a weak smile. I sat down in the driver's seat and kicked my legs out in front of me, resting them on the passenger seat.

We all just sat in silence for about an hour, not sure what to say, before Lori came in.

"Everything is ready," Lori said quietly. Carol looked at her. "Come on, Carol," Lori said, holding out a hand to her, "we're ready to lay her to rest."

"What for?" Carol said. Lori dropped her out-stretched hand, her eyes filling with tears.

"'Cause tha's yer little girl," Daryl spoke up, his expression one of frustration.

"That's not my little girl," she replied. "That's some...thing. My Sophia was alone in the woods, all this time. Now I know...she didn't cry herself to sleep, she didn't go hungry, she didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago."

Lori quietly walked out, tears streaming down her cheeks as the door shut behind her. Daryl huffed, let out a grunt and stared at Carol, then turned angrily and stormed out of the RV, slamming the door. I looked at Grace, who reached out and touched Carol's hand lightly. Then she rose and we walked out of the RV together.

Everyone except Carol stood at the gravesite as we honored our loved ones. Hershel and his girls quietly mourned the loss of their wife and mother, son and brother. The rest of us stood and cried tears for a young girl, taken way too soon and in the most violent way. Our tears were for Sophia, for her mother, and for ourselves.

About five minutes later, people began to disperse. I watched as Daryl stormed off toward the woods, still limping slightly and holding his side.

"I'm going to check on him," I told Grace, as she put her arm around Claire, who was still crying. Grace nodded.

Daryl made his way to a small group of trees a little ways from our camp. He stopped and put his crossbow against one of the trees and sat down.

"Whaddya want, Princess?" he asked, hearing me behind him.

"To see how you're doing," I said, moving to stand in front of him.

"I'm fine. Leave me alone," he grunted at me.

"You don't have to be such an ass!" I spat back at him.

"I don' need ya checkin' up on me like I'm some damn weak ass woman."

My blood began to boil. "First of all," I seethed, "women are not weak. Secondly, I know how important finding Sophia was to you, and if it upsets me as much as it does, I know you're hurting. And third, I actually care how you're doing for whatever reason!"

He stood up and got in my face. "I ain't hurtin'! I'm jus' glad now I don' have ta drag my ass out ta tha woods ta look for a girl whose mom never gave a shit anyway. Carol never did nothin' to find tha' little girl! She jus' expected me ta risk my life every damn day! Then she don' even come ta her funeral! Fuck tha', fuck her and fuck all a y'all! From now on, Imma sit righ' here and min' my own damn business!"

I stepped back like he'd slapped me. "Are you serious?" I asked him. "You offered to look for her! And I offered to look for her! So did Rick and Marc and Shane and Andrea! Besides, you and I are the ones that know the woods best! What, you expected Carol to be out there every day?! Please! And you think for one minute that Carol didn't care or that she didn't appreciate us for being out there looking for her little girl?! You stupid, selfish asshole! She's mournin' the loss of her little girl. If anyone has the right to be pissed off, it's CAROL!"

He backed up and stared at me. Then he reached down and grabbed his crossbow, his side obviously still hurting from the grimace he made, and pushed past me toward the woods.

"Fine!" I yelled at his back. "Be your usual ASSHOLE self and leave!"

I stalked back to my tent, pissed at him, wishing I could take back all the funny conversations, the way I felt when he touched me, and our kiss in the woods...no way could I actually be falling for the likes of Daryl Dixon.


	10. Chapter 10

I spent an hour in my tent, laying on my sleeping bag, pissed off at Daryl for his outburst earlier.

Who the hell did he think he was to say that Carol didn't care? She loved her daughter and she would have been out there looking for her if she could. And what she said wasn't entirely untrue. In her mind, Sophia died a week ago and she didn't want to see her biter-riddled body buried. It was bad enough she saw her as a biter, a memory I would tell anyone who would listen, would be etched in her mind forever.

No, he had no right to say that about Carol.

I sighed. Another part of me knew that this was him mourning the loss of Sophia. This had to be Daryl's way of dealing with things - to push everyone away and try to focus on someone else's shortcomings.

I was so frustrated as I ran my hand through my hair. I needed to do something productive.

With a sigh, I got up and left the tent, and headed out to see if I could help with anything. I saw Grace and Claire doing laundry and I smiled at them as I walked toward the house. I walked in to see Lori and Andrea in the kitchen, cleaning up broken dishes from the floor.

"What happened?" I asked, going in to help pick up shards of glass.

"Beth collapsed while doing dishes," Andrea explained. "She's in a catatonic shock. Marc is with her, checking vitals. But, we can't find Hershel so Rick and Glen are getting ready to go find him - he may be able to coax her out of it." I nodded, feeling bad for the teenaged girl and understanding her predicament.

"Maybe I can help," I said as Andrea threw the rest of the glass in the trash. Lori nodded and led me up the stairs. Shane, Rick, and Glen were standing in the hallway, discussing sending a search party for Hershel.

"Maggie said there's a bar in town where he used to drink. She thinks he may be there. I have to go find Hershel," Rick said. "We need him here."

"Look, Marc is an actual MD, so if she needs medical attention, then - " Shane argued.

"Hershel is her father!" Rick retorted angrily. "Plus he is probably not in a good frame of mind right now. He just saw his wife and stepson gunned down!"

"They were walkers!" Shane interrupted.

"Who cares?!" Rick replied, throwing his hands out in frustration. "Walkers or not, he's upset. He's a member of our group now, and we need him here." Shane looked down at the floor, conceding for now, but still obviously pissed off.

"I'll go with you," Glen spoke up.

"Me too," I volunteered, looking at Rick. "We need to make sure Hershel is okay. It's bad enough Beth witnessed what she did. She needs her father now more than ever. Trust me, I know..." I said.

Shane shot me a look and scoffed. "So now we're sending the cavalry!" He stood up straight and rubbed his shaved head.

"Why don't you just shut u - " I started.

Rick put his hand up as I stepped toward Shane and stepped between us. He got in Shane's face and tilted his head. "We're going. End of discussion." Shane backed off and leaned against the wall. Rick turned to us. "Meet at the truck in 10 minutes, armed and ready to go."

I nodded, still staring at Shane, who averted his eyes. Glen and Rick went toward the steps and I turned and stepped into Beth's room. Jimmy, Maggie and Dale were standing by the window with Marc and Patricia sitting on the bed, taking Beth's pulse and blood pressure.

"She's okay," Marc said, "She's just in a bit of a shock."

I kneeled down next to the bed and rubbed her hair gently. "Beth, sweetie. It's going to be okay, I promise. If you need to talk, you come find me. I know what you're going through, okay?" I whispered to her. She didn't acknowledge me, though I knew she heard. I stood up and Dale motioned for me to follow him into the hallway. When we walked out, we saw Shane and Lori arguing about something.

Shane stopped talking and let go of Lori's arm when he saw me glaring at him. He walked past me and down the stairs, slamming the front door on his way out.

"Everything okay?" I asked Lori, who rubbed the spot on her arm where Shane had been holding her."Yeah, he's just concerned about Rick leavin' is all. I'm okay. I'm going to go find Grace, see if she needs any help."

Right, I thought to myself, knowing that something else was going on with them. 'I'm not stupid,' I wanted to say to her. Dale and I exchanged a look on the way down the stairs. I could tell he knew what was going on.

We walked outside onto the front porch and stopped for a moment.

"This place is going to Hell," Dale said, looking out at the farm.

I nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm seeing that."

"You know," Dale said, "there are people in this group that think what Shane did was justified." I looked over at him, surprised and a tad angry.

"I know you two can't stand each other," Lori said, "but he did somethin' that needed to be done."

I felt my blood begin to boil. "Seriously?" I asked incredulously. "Yes, maybe it needed to be done, but did he have to do it the way he did?!"

"Madison - " Lori said.

"No, Lori," I said, feeling my cheeks start to redden with anger, "do you see what Beth is like?! And how Hershel is off drinking again?! Not to mention Carol for crying out loud! Do you even know what it's like to watch someone close to you die in front of you?!" She looked stunned. "No - you don't. What Shane did was WRONG." Lori looked at me, surprised by the anger in my voice.

"Shane's dangerous," Dale spoke up.

"Shane is a tickin' time bomb," I agreed with him.

"Yes, Shane is a bit of a hot head - " Lori started. putting her hand up.

I threw my hands in the air in frustration as Dale said, "No, Lori - Shane is dangerous." Dale hesitated. "I think he killed Otis."

Lori looked at Dale, shocked by his admission. Having already talked to Marc about this very thing, I was not surprised at all.

"Otis was killed by walkers," she said defensively.

"Please! Otis knew how to take care of walkers!" Dale said. "He put all those walkers in the barn by himself! He knew what he was doing!" he said emphatically.

"Now wait," Lori said, turning to Dale, clasping her hands together in front of her. "You need to be real clear with us," she said. "What are you saying?"

"I believe," Dale said, looking from me to Lori, "that Shane sacrificed Otis. I can't prove it, but I think that he shot him and left him for bait so he could get away."

Lori looked stunned. "Shane may be a hot head...but he's not...he's not a murderer. And why would he kill someone who's trying to help?"

"I don't know?! Maybe he was pinned down! But, Lori - I confronted him and he all but threw it in my face!" Lori looked surprised. I, however, could totally see it. "I know guys like him...and Lori, I'm afraid...He...he's gonna kill someone else." Dale walked away in complete frustration, clearly discouraged by Lori's lack of concern.

"You know," I spoke up, "Dale's right. Shane is more than a hot head. He gives me a bad feeling, and I just plain don't like him. And to back up what Dale said, maybe you should talk to Marc. Marc said that Shane told him he jumped a fence and hurt his ankle. Lori - it makes sense that he would sacrifice Otis to get away if he had hurt his ankle that badly. Then supposedly his hair got caught on the same fence and ripped out a whole section of his hair. Never mind that it only should have taken a few strands and not his scalp too!" Lori opened her mouth to interject but I kept right on talking. "And he said Otis was shooting walkers while allowing Shane to run away. So how does he show up with a dead mans shotgun if he was supposedly using it to fend off biters to save a man and the supplies?! I've only known Shane for a short time - but I can see where Dale is right about him."

She looked shocked, but the truth of the matter was setting in, and I know that she knew Dale was right. I knew he was dangerous.

"I don't know what's going on between you two," I said, leaning in to whisper to her, "but you need to be careful around him. He's obviously not going to stop trying to be with you, despite his trying to get with me every chance he gets." She looked at me, horrified that I found out their secret. "Lori, I'm about the most observant person you'll ever know. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I hope Rick doesn't find out. It would break him."

"That's none of your business," she replied, placing her hand over her chest.

"Maybe not...but it becomes my business when it affects the safety and well-being of this group. Stay clear of Shane and cut off ties."

I stepped around her and walked down the steps making my way to camp to change clothes since the nights were getting cooler. I pulled on my blue jeans, a white tank top, a pink flannel shirt, and my black hunting boots. I checked my backpack for the essentials and grabbed the old hunting jacket that belonged to my Daddy, shoving it inside. I came out of my tent and threw my backpack on, checking the gun and knife on my belt.

I looked up to see Daryl standing there. He looked incredibly sexy, despite the dirt and blood covering his clothes and arms.

'Ugh, why am I thinking like this?,' I asked myself, disappointed in myself and my apparent raging hormones.

"Where ya goin'?" he demanded, staring straight into my eyes, his gorgeous blues flashing.

"Going with Rick and Glen to town to find Hershel. Ain't like it's any of your concern," I replied, turning away from him.

He grabbed my wrist and turned me around to face him. "Why?" I yanked my wrist free, my skin tingling from his touch.

"Because he's missing and Beth needs him! Which you would have known if you hadn't stomped off into the woods earlier!"

"I needed ta clear my head." I scoffed. He stepped closer to me. "Look. I don' like tha' yer goin' on a run. Ya still have that concussion. Beth knocked ya over and I could tell ya was hurtin'." I could feel the heat from his body and it made me want to step closer.

Instead, I remembered what he said to me earlier and stepped back. "I'm fine. I don't need you worrying about me. Like I said, what I do ain't your concern. You made that perfectly clear earlier today." I made a move to walk away.

He huffed a sigh. "Look, I am jus' pissed abou' Sophia. I wanted ta find that lil' girl alive and look wha' happened to her!"

He looked downtrodden and I couldn't help myself. I stepped forward and put my hand on his arm. His muscular arm stiffened at my touch, but quickly relaxed when I spoke.

"I'm sorry Daryl. I know you tried really hard to find her. I appreciate it and I know Carol appreciates it." He pulled his arm away from me.

"She has a hell of a way a showin' it!" he spat.

I rolled my eyes, completely over his childish ways, and stepped around him, heading toward the truck where I could see Rick and Glen standing and waiting for me.

I could sense Daryl walking right behind me.

"What Dixon?" I asked, not stopping. "We're done here."

"Jus' please," he said, putting his hand on my arm to stop me. I stopped and looked at him, his face inches from mine, his blue eyes full of concern. He put his hands on my cheeks, gently cradling my face, and my breath caught in my throat. "Please be careful."

I found it hard to speak. "I - I will. Don't worry about me," I told him. He looked at my eyes, then my lips, and back up to my eyes. My heart was thumping out of rhythm, my face flushed.

"Come see me when ya get back," he said, dropping his hands from my face and quickly walking away.

My cheeks were still tingling and I could feel them burning red when I made it to the truck. Glen smiled at me, his brown eyes sparkling with laughter. Rick shot me a smirk.

"You and Daryl, huh?" Rick asked, amused.

"Both of you shut up and get in the damn truck," I said, climbing in and closing my door hard behind me.

Driving into town, it felt like there had been no apocalypse with the way the guys were talking. No - gossiping.

"Maggie said she loves me," Glen said to us. Rick looked at him, confused about why he was stressing about it. "She doesn't mean it," Glen said, exasperated. "I mean, she can't. She's just upset about Beth and Hershel and the barn..."

I laughed from the back seat. Rick looked at me in the rearview mirror, eyes full of laughter.

"I think she's smart enough to know how she feels," Rick said.

"No...nah...she's just...upset." Rick and I both laughed, unable to hold it in. "She wants to be in love...so she needs to..."

Rick interrupted, "Glen. It's obvious to everyone that Maggie loves you. And it's not because you're one of the last men standing, so what's the problem?"

"I didn't say it back."

I leaned forward to look at him. "You serious? 'Cause it's also obvious to all of us that you love her."

"I can't help it! I froze. The only woman that's ever said that to me is my mom!" We laughed again. "I'm serious! Maggie and I barely know each other...how can she possibly love me?"

Rick leaned across to him and said, "Look, Glen. She wouldn't have said it if she didn't mean it. In this world, the way things are now, you need to grab that love and hold onto it. It means a lot more now than it ever did before. So if you find a good thing, go for it,"

Glen nodded. "You mean like Daryl and Madison?" he joked. My heart started to race and my palms were sweating.

"They're next!" Rick joked, turning to smile at me.

I sat up. "What?! No. Daryl Dixon gets on my last nerve. He's so pushy and stubborn and moody...he's such an asshole!"

They both laughed. "Yep..." Rick said, "they got it bad!"

"You just shut up and drive," I said, feeling myself blush.


	11. Chapter 11

We arrived at the bar a few minutes later, pulling up next to Hershel's car. Glen hesitated before getting out of the jeep and glanced at me in the backseat.

He turned to Rick and said, "I know." He looked back at me again then back to Rick. "About Lori." I looked from Glen to Rick and back again.

"I figured," Rick replied with a sigh. "And soon everyone will know." He took a deep breath. "Lori is pregnant."

I gasped. "Really?" Rick and Glen nodded. "Who else knows?"

"Me, you, Glen, Shane, and Marc," Rick replied, his face showing his stress.

"Congratulations," I mumbled, unsure what to think about the whole thing, wondering how on earth they let something like that happen. "How far along is she?"

"It's hard to tell, but we're guessing about 6 weeks. That's when we were reunited at the quarry." I nodded.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you," Glen said to Rick. I looked at him, confused. "I knew before Rick because she had me get a test for her on the pharmacy run," he explained to me. He turned back to Rick. "She made me promise not to tell you."

"Well you two made the decision not to tell me. It was the wrong one," he joked, "but it's okay. I know now and we're good." He patted his shoulder.

I shook my head as we piled out of the car, baffled at how they let this happened and wondering how it would all play out, adding a pregnancy and later a baby to the mix. I felt the need to discuss this further with Rick and Marc later at the farm to come up with contengency plans.

I needed to let Daryl know as well. My stomach fluttered when I thought about him. We needed to sit down and talk when I got back and I wasn't sure I was really looking forward to that.

We had our guns up and ready as we walked toward the door, eyes peeled for biters and other survivors around the small town. I relaxed a little when it looked like we were totally alone but kept my guard up.

We walked up the steps to the outdated saloon. "Hey, two guys and a girl walk into a bar..." I joked as we opened the door, trying to lighten the mood. They both chuckled a little.

We walked in and saw Hershel sitting at the bar with his back to the door, a bottle of whiskey next to him. I noticed that he had no weapon of any kind, which upset me a little. It was like he still had no idea how dangerous the world had gotten and I wanted to smack him for it.

"Rick," Hershel said without turning around. "Did Maggie send ya?"

"She did," he replied as he walked over to him. Glen and I stood in the middle of the room and faced the door, guns at our sides and watching for any movement outside.

"How many you had?" I asked him as I glanced over.

"Not enough." He poured himself a little more. I rolled my eyes. I'd never understood the need to drown ones sorrows with alcohol. I definitely enjoyed a drink every now and again, but I would never use it to escape my problems.

"Look, we need you back at the farm. Beth collapsed and she's in some sort of shock. Marc is taking care of her, but he needs you there," Rick explained.

"Maggie's with her?"

"Yeah, but she needs you," I spoke up. "She needs her father."

"She needs her mother," Hershel said. "I should have let her say goodbye weeks ago. She needed that closure, but I robbed her of it."

"No one blames you for thinking there was a cure. You did what you thought was best for your family," Rick told him.

"I was a fool, Rick. My daughters deserve better than that." He took a long drink, draining his glass, before filling it up again. I looked at Rick for our next move but he just stared at Hershel. I turned back to the door to keep watch.

We were all quiet for a few minutes when Rick made his way over to Glen and me.

"So what are we going to do? Wait for him to pass out?" Glen whispered. "Carry him back home drunk?"

"We could just use force, overtake him. Hell I could do that by myself," I told them, throwing my hands up with frustration.

"No we need to try and convince him," Rick replied, smiling at me.

"Just go away!" Hershel yelled. We all turned to look at him, his words slurring slightly from the drink.

"Damn Hershel! Keep your voice down," I replied quietly.

"Just leave me alone," he murmured.

"I promised to bring you back safe..." Rick replied.

"Like you promised that little girl?"

I stepped toward him. "Hey, watch it old man. You don't know - " I said, but Rick put up a hand. I stopped and glared at him.

"So what's your plan?" Rick spat angrily. "Drink yourself to death and leave the girls alone?!"

Hershel got up and stumbled his way up to Rick. "You people are like a plague! I do the Christian thing: I brought you people in and you destroyed everything! We lost Otis, then your man Shane caused us so much pain with his scene at the barn. You're supposed to be their leader!" Hershel yelled. I stepped closer to Rick, ready to clock Hershel if needed.

"Well I'm here now, aren't I?!" Rick asked. "I'm here for you."

"Yes...yes you are..." he walked back over to sit down.

"Come on...the girls need you..let's go..." Rick followed and said quietly to him. Glen shot me a look as we both moved up to the bar, still watching the front.

"I didn't want to believe you!" Hershel cried out, slamming his hand on the bar. "You told me there was no cure! I chose not to believe you. But when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she just kept coming...that's when I knew what an ass I had been. Annette died a long time ago and I was feedin' chickens to her rotting corpse! When Daryl put her down, that's when I knew there was no hope...and when that little girl came out of that barn and I saw your face...I know now that you know it too. There is no hope. Hope is gone."

Rick looked surprised. "Nothing has changed!" He said emphatically. "Death is death, it's always been there. Whether it's from cancer or a heart attack or a walker, what's the difference? You had hope before! There are people back at that farm that need us - and it's not about what we believe anymore. It's about THEM. Keeping them safe and relatively happy. Keeping our family and friends alive is what's important!"

Rick's words got to me and I held back a sob, my eyes filling with tears, goosebumps covering my body. He was right. We needed each other to survive.

I walked over, lowered my gun and stepped up to Hershel. I leaned in and hugged him tightly. He turned toward me and hugged me back, his shoulders shaking from his tears as a tear slipped down my cheek as well.

He needed this - a simple hug. Compassion. Family and friends.

We all did.

Hershel gave me one last squeeze and I backed up, wiping my face on my sleeve. Rick reached over and squeezed my arm, mouthing a quick thank you to me. I smiled at him in return.

Hershel looked from me to Glen and back to Rick. He wiped his eyes and raised his glass, finished his drink and put the glass down. He stood up and Rick clapped him on the back.

Just then, the door opened behind us and I turned, automatically raising my gun. Two guys stood at the door, one tall and thin, the other short and heavyset.

"Holy shit," the thin one said. "They're alive."

We looked at them, confused and wondering who they were and where they came from. I clicked the safety off of my gun, these two guys giving me a bad feeling.

"Whoa, sweetness," the thin one said, "no need to be pointing that at the living." Rick looked at me and motioned for me to lower my weapon, though his eyes told me to stay alert. I lowered it, but kept the safety off, my finger still on the trigger at my side.

They came in and the heavy one strolled up and sat at the bar near Hershel. I instinctively moved closer to Hershel so I could be ready to defend him if needed. The thin one went straight behind the side bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and some glasses. He walked back out and sat at a table across from us. I watched both of them carefully.

Rick positioned himself next to Hershel, where he could see both of the guys and all three of us as Glen shifted closer to me.

"Name's Dave," said the thin guy. "That there's Tony." He motioned to Tony as he poured himself a drink.

"What's up?" Tony asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I refrained from rolling my eyes so as not to satisfy him with any type of reaction. I just stared back with a blank face.

"We met on I-95 on the way down here from Philly when the shit hit the fan. Just trying to find a little safety," Dave said.

"I'm Rick. That's Hershel, Glen, and Madison."

Tony whistled at me. "Yeah, that's Madison, all right." He blew me a kiss. Again, I didn't react, though I felt the urge to either shoot him or puke, whichever came first. Rick laughed it off, but I could see the rigid stance of his shoulders.

"Sorry, Tony," Rick said, "but she's spoken for." I thought of Daryl and wondered what he would do if he heard this guy, though I would disagree that I was 'spoken for' by anyone. I also understood why he said it.

"Yours?" he asked. I wanted to punch this Tony guy. I wasn't a possession to be had.

"No...a friend's."

"Well...What he doesn't know..." Tony joked, winking at me. Inside I was shaking with anger. 'Stupid fucker,' I thought to myself, stamping down the anger and waiting for the right time.

Dave laughed. "Hows about a drink?" Dave said, offering the bottle to Rick, who passed it around along with shot glasses to all of us. It came to Hershel who turned it down.

"No thanks," he said. "Just quit."

"Hell of a time to stop drinking," Dave replied. "To new friends!" he said, taking the shot. We all took one, my finger still trigger-ready and my eyes on Tony, who kept shooting me suggestive looks. It honestly made me want to throw up. He was disgusting.

"God, that's good," Dave said, putting his glass down. He pulled his gun out of his pocket and I could see Rick's hand shift to his holster by the handle of his colt python. My hand twitched, ready to go. Dave smiled and put it on the table next to his glass. "Not bad, huh?" he asked. "Got it off a cop."

"I'm a cop," Rick replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, well this one was already dead." Dave smiled. Rick stared at him. My finger twitched at the threat. Give me a reason, asshole.

"You boys are a long way from Philly. What brought you here?" Rick asked, clearly stalling.

"It wasn't the weather. I've dropped fifteen pounds from sweat," Tony spoke up, "five pounds alone from my balls." He winked at me again. I almost gagged, but kept my face blank.

"Nah, we stopped in DC, heard there was a refugee camp, but it got overrun. Every group we've found since then says something new about a safe place, but we haven't found it yet. Someone mentioned Nebraska - not a lot of people, but lots of guns. They don't call it the fly-over states for nothing," Dave joked. "May head that way next. What about y'all?"

"Headed to Ft. Benning," Rick said.

"Well, officer, hate to bust your balls but Ft. Benning is gone."

"Are you serious?" Glen asked.

"As a heart attack," Dave said. I glanced over at Tony, who made a suggestive motion with his mouth. I couldn't help it as I rolled my eyes, making him laugh. "Truth is, there isn't a safe place. Just gotta keep moving, hoping that one of these geeks doesn't get you in your sleep."

"If you sleep," Tony said.

"Yeah. If. Speaking of," Dave continued, looking around the bar, "doesn't look like you fine people hang your hats here. You gotta place nearby?" I kept my face blank as did the rest of my group.

"Not really," Rick replied.

"Those your cars out front?" Dave asked.

"Yeah," Glen replied. "Why?"

"We're living out of ours. Yours are empty. Means your gear is somewhere else."

"We're a part of a larger group," Hershel spoke up. "We're out here on a scouting mission, stopped in here for a drink."

"Hershel! Thought you quit?!" Dave said. Hershel gave him a cold smile. "Well," he continued. "we're thinking of setting up around here. Is it safe?"

"Can be I guess," Rick said.

"So what...are y'all holed up at some development around here?" Dave asked as Tony got up, flung his gun over his shoulder, and walked by Glen and me. I moved closer to Glen, keeping an eye on him. "A trailer park? Farm?" Dave asked. "Old McDonald had a farm..." he sang, as Tony pissed on the floor. Rick stared at him "Oh that's it. You got a farm. Is it safe? Do you have shelter? Water? Food?"

Tony turned to me, his dick still sticking out of his pants. He made a rude gesture and Dave laughed. Glen grabbed me by the arm and moved me between himself and Hershel. "Sorry. It's been weeks since he saw a woman and about that long since he got some. Sorry...city kids have no manners. I apologize." He looked at me. I just stared him down.

He turned his attention back to Glen. "So, Glen...this farm - "

"We've said enough," Rick said, widening his stance.

"Now wait a minute. This farm sounds pretty sweet. How about a little southern hospitality?" Dave asked. "Look it - we got more guys in our group and some of them ain't doing so well. They could use showers, food, water...women..." Tony grunted in my direction. I wanted to kick him in the nuts. I watched them and waited for Rick's signal.

He held his hand up and said, "No. I'm sorry. We don't have any more space."

Dave laughed. "You guys are something else. I thought we were friends, Rick. Madison?" I glared at him. "We got people we have to look out for too."

"We don't know anything about you," Rick replied.

"Yeah, that's true," Dave said, standing up and walking over to the bar. "The things we've been through...things we've had to do...you don't know us. But I bet you've done some of the same things too, right? The world isn't the same - no one's hands are clean. We're all the same, just trying to protect our own. So come on...lets take a nice friendly hayride to this farm and get to know each other. We can pool our resources - "

"That's not going to happen," Rick cut him off.

"This is bullshit," Tony spoke up, his face red with anger. My finger twitched, ready to shoot.

"Calm down," Rick warned him, putting his hand up.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" he said, making a move toward Rick. I stepped forward, ready for a fight. "Hows about I put a bullet in all of your heads and take your damn farm?"

"How bout you go ahead and try," I finally spoke up, stepping between Tony and Rick with Glen at my side. "I'm a fucking great shot and I will fucking shoot you dead." My face was bright red with anger and I could hear a whooshing in my ears.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dave said, moving between me and Tony. "No one is going to shoot anyone here! There will be no killing anyone." Tony glared at me as he backed up. Dave walked to the bar and jumped over and behind it. "We're just friends having drinks that's all. Now, where's the good stuff?" He bent over and reached below the bar. Rick put his hand on his gun in his holster, as Glen and I looked at Tony. Dave pulled up a bottle of liquor and put his hands up. "See...just whiskey. Now, Rick," he said, "you have to understand. We can't stay out there. You don't know what it's like out there..." I kept Tony in my periferal vision as I watched Dave and Rick as well.

"I do," Rick said. "But the farm is over crowded as it is, so I'm sorry, but we can't. You'll have to keep looking."

Dave looked pissed. "Keep looking? Where do you suggest we do that?"

"I don't know. I hear Nebraska is nice," Rick said sarcastically.

"HA. Nebraska. This guy," he said, reaching down again. My heart stared pounding.

Before I knew it, Dave was pulling a gun from behind the bar. Rick saw him first and with lightning speed, drew his gun and shot him in the head before Dave could even pull the trigger.

At the same time, I saw Tony grab for his gun and aim for Rick. Instinctively, I lifted my gun and shot the gun out of Tony's hand. He screamed and lowered his shoulder like he was going to charge me. I stepped back and pulled the trigger again, this time shooting him in the head. He fell to the floor with a resounding boom. I lowered my gun and stared at him, my ears ringing.

I just killed a man.


	12. Chapter 12

"Holy shit!" Glen said. "Oh my God...I thought we were dead!"

I looked up to see Hershel just looking from Rick to me, his hand over his chest as though in shock.

Rick came over to me and wrapped me in a hug. I hugged him back, shaking a little from the adrenaline. He backed up and held my upper arms. "Thank you," he said, putting one hand on the side of my face. I nodded, still internally struggling with the fact that I had just killed a living, breathing person.

Rick went over to check on Glen and Hershel. I looked around the bar and noticed it was dark outside. "Y'all, we should head back. It's dark and the shots probably alerted every biter within a mile of here."

"You're right," Rick said, "let's go now." He handed Hershel Dave's gun and pocketed the bar keepers gun that Dave tried to use.

We headed for the door when we saw headlights then heard a car pull up and doors close outside.

"Shit," I said out loud as I grabbed Hershel's arm with one hand, my gun in the other. "Hide!" The four of us ran to the door and sat against the wall, all with our guns raised.

"Dave? Tony?" a voice called from the street. "I heard shots!" I snuck a peek out the window and saw three men standing in the parking lot. "Let's split up and look for them!" Two took off down the street and one came for the bar.

I ducked down and signaled to the others. Three men total. One headed our way.

Rick slid over to the door, reached up and locked the door, and sat in front of it to block it. The guy tried to open the door and when he couldn't, he called to the others, then said, "Hey! Dave? Tony? You in there? Hey seriously. Are Dave and Tony in there? We are just looking for our friends."

No one said anything. My hands were shaking as I stared at Rick. He shook his head, giving me a look like he wasn't sure what to do. I put my finger to my lips and gestured for him to keep quiet.

"We just wanna know. Are they dead or alive?" Hershel looked at Rick and shook his head slightly.

"They're dead," Rick said suddenly. I slapped myself in the forehead. Hershel put his head down in frustration, giving Rick a disapproving look. "They drew on us first. We had to defend ourselves."

"Dammit Rick," I whispered.

We didn't hear anything for a few seconds and then shots rang out, bullets and glass flying over our heads. I pulled Hershel to the ground with me, Glen and Rick following suit, as bullets riddled the bar. Rick was still blocking the door with his feet, not allowing them access.

The shooting stopped for a second, then picked up again. Rick signaled to us to go out the back door. I nodded and pulled Hershel by the arm. We ducked low and ran behind the bar to the back room. The door to the alleyway was through the small kitchen.

Glen threw open the door and peeked out, gun ready to shoot, alive or dead. He looked back in at us and signaled to watch his back. I nodded.

He ducked his head out of the back door and looked around, then signaled to us that he'd found shelter. He stepped out and I moved to take his place to keep lookout. As I reached the doorway, I heard the shots ring out and saw him fall behind the dumpster.

"FUCK!" I yelled. I stuck my head out to look for the shooter and realized he was standing close. I lifted my gun and pulled the trigger, hitting him in the leg. He screamed and dropped his gun.

I heard the moans before I saw the biters coming toward the guy I had just shot. I could hear him screaming for help as I signaled to Rick and Hershel to follow me. I ducked out and headed toward Glen.

"Is he okay?" I heard Hershel ask from behind me, still inside the bar. I heard the biters attacking the guy I shot, his screams filling the air.

I looked behind the dumpster and saw Glen clutching his gun, huddled down and breathing heavily. "You hit?" I asked. He shook his head no, though clearly he was freaked out. "He's okay," I said in a loud whisper.

Hershel ran toward me followed by Rick. I looked to where the guy I'd shot was laying on the ground, moaning as biters feasted on him and saw more coming from the woods. Rick leaned down and helped Glen stand up.

I heard a car pull up out front and the guy yelled to another man, who I just saw above us on a roof. "MAN! There are geeks everywhere! Come on! We gotta go!" Rick held his arms out to stop us from heading their way.

"What about Dave, Tony, and Max?"

"Leave 'em! Let's go!"

"We have to go too," Rick said.

I watched the kid on top of the roof jump toward the truck his buddy was driving and I heard a sickening crunch and a scream.

"He didn't make it," Glen said as he stood up.

"I'm sorry, Randall!" we heard the guy yell before peeling away in the truck.

"Let's go!" Rick yelled. We passed through a fence and saw the kid from the roof, his leg impaled on the wrought iron gate.

"We have to save him! We can't leave him here!" Rick said. "Hershel!" Hershel ran over and looked at the kids leg, who was still screaming. I looked across the street and saw biters coming from all directions. "Should we cut it off or just pull his leg off the fence?" Rick was asking Hershel.

"We have to go!" Glen yelled, as he and I started shooting biters all around us. There were so many, drawn by shots and screams and the smell of fresh meat. I was starting to panic, my heart beating out of my chest.

"We're getting over run!" I yelled to Hershel and Rick, who were debating about what to do with the kid. He was still screaming, bringing more and more biters down on us. "Shut him up!" I shot another biter, this one too close for comfort.

We needed to go NOW!

While they stood there and debated, I ran over and punched Randall in the temple, knocking him out cold, his screams stopping.

"THERE!" I yelled. Hershel looked at me shocked and Rick shrugged, then pulled him off the fence with a disgusting squelching sound. He threw the kid over his shoulder and we ran for the jeep. Glen, Hershel, and I picked off biters around us. I was on autopilot, desperate to get all of us back alive.

We all jumped into the jeep and slammed the doors shut. Hershel and I were in the backseat with the kid, who was bleeding profusely, while Glen jumped in the passenger seat and Rick in the driver's seat.

Rick peeled off in the direction of the farm. I took a bandage out of my backpack and wrapped it around the kids wound as Hershel took a shirt in the floor board to make another pad for the bleeding. There was blood everywhere.

"I need your belt," Hershel said to me. I took my belt off and Hershel wrapped it around the kids thigh, creating a tourniquet.

"What a minute!" Rick yelled. "Glen, take this," and he handed a bandana from his pocket to him, "and put it over his eyes. I don't want him to see the farm. Blindfold him!"

"But he's unconscious!" I replied.

"Do it!" Rick yelled. "He won't be unconscious forever!"

Glen turned around in his seat and secured the bandana around his eyes.

"You gotta pull over for a minute, so Madison and I can get the bleeding to stop," Hershel said to Rick. "We can't get it crammed in the seat back here."

"Let's wait a minute until we're far enough away," Rick said, as Hershel and I continued to put pressure on the wound, which blood flowed freely from. My stomach was starting to get queasy from the metallic smell of the blood. I closed my eyes and reached over to roll the window down some.

A few minutes later, Rick pulled over into a driveway and Hershel and I set to work, trying to get the bleeding under control some. Hershel and I took turns holding the wound and applying pressure while Rick and Glen kept watch for biters.

"We've gotta get him laid out," I said.

"Yeah we do. Rick - can we try and get into that house?" Hershel asked, pointing to the house at the end of the drive.

Rick rubbed his hand over his face. "We need to make sure it's safe first." He looked at Glen. "You come with me. Madison, I need you to keep watch out here while Hershel tends to the boy." I nodded and grabbed my gun off my belt, my knife in my other hand. Rick and Glen went toward the house. I scanned the area around us, the trees moving slightly with the wind and silently thanked God for my dad's training.

About 5 minutes later, I heard a low whistle and turned to see Rick approaching. "Let's drive the car up closer to the house. We're all clear and it will be easier to hide the car and get him into the house." We both climbed in, Hershel still holding the wound in the backseat, and Rick drove the car up to the house. The three of us carried him into the house where we laid him out on the floor in the kitchen. Glen was rummaging through the cabinets and was stuffing cans into the duffle bag he'd found.

"I'm gonna go look upstairs in the bathrooms too."

"Bring us down some towels, please," I said as I rolled up my sleeves and kneeled on the floor across the body from Hershel.

It felt like hours later when the blood stopped flowing completely. I wrapped his leg in the last bandage we had, his calf covered with kitchen towels we grabbed. I looked through the window and saw that it was almost dawn, probably about 5:00 am. Hershel looked beat as he leaned against the wall, sipping from a bottled water Glen handed him as I laid on my back, bending my knees and heaving a sigh, the night before catching up to me both physically and mentally.

"We need to get back," Rick said from the backdoor where he was keeping watch out the window.

"Yeah," Glen called from the front door, "we're all clear up here if we want to go ahead and load up the boy. I already packed the car."

Rick nodded and walked over to me, putting his hand out. I sighed again and reached up, allowing him to help me up. He squeezed my hand before dropping it and turned to help Hershel from his spot on the floor.

We gently team lifted the boy and walked out to the car, settling him in the back between Glen and Hershel.

"Here, take these and cuff him," Rick said, handing Glen a pair of hand cuffs.

"You sure we need to?" I asked as I turned around in the front seat.

"Yeah. Just in case he wakes up ready for a fight." I nodded as Hershel leaned the kid forward. I held him while Glen and Hershel cuffed his hands behind him.

Rick climbed into the driver's seat and we headed toward the farm.

The kid woke up five minutes later, groggy and out of it.

"What's your name?" Rick asked him from the front seat as he continued driving, watching him in the rearview mirror.

He was moaning in pain. "Randall," he whispered before passing out again.

"Okay, his heart rate has slowed down drastically. We need to hurry so I can do surgery on his calf or he won't make it," Hershel said. "I need supplies and Marc's help."

Rick nodded and pressed the gas a little harder. I sat with my head against the head rest, my head throbbing. Rick kept glancing over at me.

"I'm fine," I finally told him, putting my hand on his arm. "I promise." He gave me a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Just worried," he replied, shrugging.

"I'm just exhausted," I replied. "I'll be okay after a shower and some rest."

"Okay." He smiled again.

Truth was, I wasn't okay. I had killed two men - one with my gun and one by shooting him and attracting biters. How was I ever going to live with that? I closed my eyes, trying to clear my head and my conscience.

We made it back to the farm as the sun was starting to rise, around 5:30 am.

It had been a long night.

When we pulled up, everyone came running up to meet us. Maggie ran straight past Hershel for Glen and I smiled, thinking back to our conversation which felt like a year ago. Grace, Marc, and Claire ran to me, all engulfing me in a hug. Lori and Carl ran past us to Rick.

"Why are you covered in blood?" Grace asked. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head and she hugged me again.

"Patricia," Hershel said behind me, "prepare the shed for surgery. Marc, I need your help." Marc nodded and patted my cheek before running after Hershel. I stepped back from my sisters and saw Daryl standing nearby. He nodded at me, his eyes roving over me, checking me for injuries.

"What happened to your head?" Rick asked Lori, smoothing back her hair to look at her forehead.

"It's nothing." He looked at her. "Car accident. I came looking for you and I got into an accident."

Shane spoke up. "I went found her, brought her back." I stared at him. He glanced over and tried to smile at me. I looked away, disgusted by him.

"Dammit, Lori," he said, pulling her to him in a tight hug. "Are you crazy?"

"Who is that?!" T-Dog asked, as the rest of our group saw Randall in the backseat.

Shane looked at Rick and the look Rick had sent chills down my spine. What was going on with them?

"Everyone meet inside in 10 minutes," Rick said, heading after Hershel and Marc toward the jeep to get Randall. "We will fill you in on what's going on."

"You need food and water," Grace said, hovering over me. "Go get changed and cleaned up, then come in the house. Claire, come with me," Grace ordered as she headed back to the house.

I walked toward my tent and when I reached the opening, I heard light footsteps behind me. I spun around and saw Daryl behind me.

"Ya hurt?" he asked, biting his lip.

I shook my head. "I'm fine." My voice trembled a little.

"Don' look fine. Don' sound fine."

I huffed and turned around, walking into my tent. I quickly pulled off my flannel shirt, which was stained with Randall's blood and tossed it in the corner. I pulled my hair out of the bun, my head hurting from having it up so long and from the concussion I still had and ran my fingers through it, trying to smooth it out.

I heard Daryl step into the tent. I turned to look at him. "Do you mind? I'm changing clothes." I turned around and pulled my tank top over my head and tossed it on top of my flannel shirt, leaving me in my jeans and bra.

"I was worried, Maddie." I froze at the tone of his voice. "Ya din' come back last night and I was worried 'bout ya. Everyone talked me outta comin' out last nigh' to find ya. I was fixin' ta come find ya this mornin'." The tone of his voice made me warm inside, my stomach clenching. I took a deep breath.

"Well...I can take care of myself," I pulled a green t-shirt out of my bag and pulled it on. I didn't want to feel this way, just his voice alone making me feel hot.

"I know tha'," he said. "Don' mean I wasn' still worried. Wha' happened?" he asked me, putting his hand on my arm as I bent over to pull my shoes off, gaining my full attention. I pulled my arm away, trying to put some distance between us. My throat tightened with emotion and tears burned the back of my eyes.

"We ran into some guys who wanted to bring their whole group back to the farm. Rick said no. They wanted to fight, so we took care of it." I could feel the tears sneaking up on me. I sat on my blow up mattress and pulled off my shoes, trying to keep myself busy.

"Hey," he whispered, dropping down in front of me and lightly grabbing my chin and looking into my eyes, "why ya 'bout to cry?"

A sob came out of my throat and before I knew what was happening, Daryl was pulling me into his lap, my head against his strong chest while I cried. He ran his hand up and down my back, his other hand holding my head to him, his fingers intertwined in my hair.

"Yer okay now," he said, comforting me, his voice soft and soothing. "Wanna tell me wha' happened?"

I took a deep breath and started shaking. "I killed someone...not a walker...a person. Two people, actually."

Daryl took a deep breath and grabbed my chin with his hand, titling my face up to his. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely, putting his hand on my cheek, rubbing the tears away.

"One guy was going to shoot Rick, and I didn't think, I just reacted. The other was shooting at Glen and I shot him...biters got him." I sobbed as more tears flowed.

Daryl nodded, looking into my eyes. "Ya done tha righ' thing. Ya protected yer group. No shame in tha'."

I nodded, staring into his eyes. He brushed his thumb across my cheek and to my lips. My breath caught in my throat and suddenly every place his fingers touched felt like it was on fire. His lips parted and his eyes dropped to my lips, then back up to look into my eyes. He leaned toward me, his eyes closing. I tilted my head up and closed the distance.

His lips were soft and gentle as they pressed against mine. He pressed a little harder, almost like he was asking permission. I put my hand on the back his head and titled my head, opening my mouth and leaning into him, letting him know I wanted this too. God I wanted this. I needed this.

He repositioned both of us so that I was straddling him, and one of his hands wandered down to my lower back, pulling me tightly to him. My chest was pushed closely against his. His other hand tangled in my hair, holding my face to his. I put my arms around his shoulders, holding him as close as I could, loving the feeling of his hard body pressed against mine.

I moaned as his tongue parted my lips and met mine. I heard him groan as he ran both hands down to my hips and digging his fingers in, continuing to kiss me, our tongues fighting for dominance. I had never been kissed like this before, so desperate and needy, and it made me hot and tingly all over. My mind was blank, focused only on how he felt wrapped around me, kissing me so passionately.

He lifted his hips against mine and I could feel his excitement growing through his jeans. I shuddered as I pushed back against him, the friction sending jolts of electricity through me. We both moaned in unison and I smiled against his mouth as we continued to assault each other's senses.

His hands were warm and callused and felt oh so good against my skin as he ran them up under my shirt, splayed across my ribs just under my bra. I reached down for the hem of his shirt, suddenly having the urge to feel his hot skin against mine. He reached down to help me lift his shirt -

"Madison?" a voice called from outside the tent.

"Shit," Daryl said as he broke our kiss. I scrambled off of his lap and adjusted my clothing as Claire poked her head into the tent.

She looked over to see Daryl sitting on the ground next to my mattress, a guilty look on his face, and me standing and blushing with my lips swollen from kissing.

She smiled, a knowing look on her face.

"They're ready for the meeting," she said, turning and walking away.

I looked at Daryl, who gave me a wary half-smile. I smiled back at him, lifting my hand to my lips. What the hell had just happened?


	13. Chapter 13

After Claire left, I sat down to pull on my tennis shoes, not making eye contact with Daryl, who was standing now and watching the door of the tent where Claire left. I knew Claire wouldn't tell anyone - besides Grace - about what she walked in on, but I still felt uneasy, given the fact that I was still unsure what was happening between us myself.

I needed to be alone to process.

I stood up, blatantly ignoring Daryl and trying not to think about what just happened as I focused on getting ready for the group meeting about what happened in town with Randall and his group. I grabbed my gun belt and strapped it back around my waist, adjusting my holster on my hip. I could feel Daryl watching me and I tried my best not to acknowledge him as I headed for the door of my tent.

"Maddie?" Daryl said from behind me. I stopped and closed my eyes, warmth again spreading over my body at his voice calling my name. Part of me was annoyed that he could make me feel this way just by speaking and the other part wanted to push him down on my mattress and continue where we left off.

I felt him come up behind me. I turned slowly, wondering which Daryl I was about to face. Would it be Angry Daryl - pissed that we had been caught in a precarious position? Or would it be one of his other personalities? Indifferent, like what we had just done was no big deal? Asshole, because he was pissed that he had shown anything other than disdain? I couldn't decide as his face was blank when I finally looked at him.

He frowned at me. "Ya don' think Claire suspects anythin' do ya?" He looked over my shoulder at the tent door.

I nodded. "She knows something is up," he winced and I felt my stomach clench, "but don't worry, she won't say anything. Despite all her faults, she never was one to tell people's secrets." He looked relieved, which suddenly really pissed me off as heat rose from my chest. "So don't worry, Dixon...your dirty lil' secret is safe," I said nastily.

I turned around and stormed out of the tent. I wasn't sure why I was so hurt by his relief but I was.

I could sense that Daryl was hot on my heels. "Whaddya mean my dirty secret?" he asked, walking fast to keep up with me.

"Oh you know," I said in a huff, my thoughts going a mile a minute along with my heart rate, "don't want anyone knowing you're kissing the likes of me." He grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks and stepped in front of me, his blue eyes flashing.

"Dammit, Maddie. Tha' ain' it at all." He looked down at his feet like he was embarrassed and my heart fluttered. "Jus' ain' nobody's business who I'm kissin'."

"So," I asked him, as he looked back at me, "you're not ashamed?" My cheeks burned red.

He looked at me, surprise written all over his face. "Ashamed?" he asked me, putting his warm hand on my cheek. "No, Maddie, I ain' ashamed. I jus' don' wanna be tha talk'a tha camp. There's 'nuff drama with Shane an' Lori an' Rick, Glen an' Maggie, Shane an' Andrea..." He dropped his hand from my face.

I looked at him, completely taken by surprised. "Shane and Andrea?"

He scoffed. "Tha Davis girls really don' gossip, do ya?" I laughed. He smiled, pushing a lock of my hair behind my ear that the wind blew free.

"We hear things, we just don't go repeating 'em," I said, playfully punching him in the arm.

He suddenly got very serious. "Look, I ain' any good with this kinda thing, and you and I will prolly spen' more time fightin' than gettin' along."

I nodded, agreeing with him as my heart fluttered. "Boy do I know that. It's 'cause you're so damn stubborn!" I joked, laughing as he cracked a smile, his blue eyes shining in the bright sunlight.

"Hell nah. Yer way more stubborn than me! Mos' stubborn woman I ever met." He shook his head and looked at his feet again, kicking at the dirt.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever," I said.

He looked back at me and put his hands up. "See? Can' even get ya to admit yer stubborn." I gave him a dirty look and we both laughed.

I smiled, my body warm all over as he smiled at me - a genuine smile that crinkled his eyes in the corners. "Look, Dixon, if we're gonna do this - we'll be discreet, 'cause you're right: there's enough drama in this group."

He smirked. "No shit."

"Okay then," I said.

"Okay," he replied.

He smiled as we both turned toward the house. He put his hand on my lower back, causing goose bumps to rise on my arms and legs as he gently lead me to the house, dropping his hand as we walked up the stairs.

We walked in the door to see Rick standing at the head of the dining room table with Glen, Maggie, Dale, Carol, Grace, Claire, Carl, and Lori sitting around the table. Shane, Andrea, T-Dog, and Jimmy were standing around the dining room and Hershel was standing in the doorway, cleaning his hands from surgery. Marc must still been in with Randall, I thought to myself.

"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" I heard Andrea ask. I walked in and stopped next to Hershel, leaning against the door frame. Daryl walked in behind me and nodded to the group, stopping to lean his back against the wall next to me. Claire looked from Daryl to me and smiled. I flashed a small smile back at her, scowling at Shane as he glanced over at me, his eyes raking down my body and back up to my face.

"He'll have a fighting chance, that's all we need to give him," Rick answered.

"He knows where we are," Shane spoke up. "And you're just gonna let him go, so he's free to come back with his buddies?" I tried hard to refrain from rolling my eyes at him, but I couldn't help it.

"He was blindfolded the whole time," Rick replied quickly. "He's not a threat."

"How many more of them are there?" Shane asked. "You killed three of their men and took one of them hostage. How do you know they ain't gonna come looking for him?" Shane asked angrily.

"They left him for dead! No one is looking for him!" Rick retorted, getting visibly more angry by the second. "We are still safe. Look - I killed Dave, who I'm pretty sure was their leader and Madison killed Tony and the third guy was taken by walkers," Rick said, as Grace and Claire gasped, looking at me. I kept my eyes on Rick and I could see the others looking from me to him in my peripheral vision.

"So we let him go tomorrow?" Andrea asked, looking skeptical, bringing the conversation back to Randall.

"He's out cold right now and will be for hours," Hershel said quietly. "He'll need to rest and recuperate before we let him go."

"OH great! You know what? I'm gonna go out and buy him some flowers," Shane said sarcastically and pushed himself away from the wall angrily, stalking toward the doorway where Hershel and I stood. "Look at this folks! We're back in fantasy land!" I heard a throat clear and glanced over at Daryl, who shook his head at me slightly, knowing that I wanted to say something to Shane as the heat rose again in my chest.

"You know, Shane," Hershel spoke up, stepping in Shane's path as he got to us, "we still haven't dealt with what you did with my barn. Let me make this clear, once and for all. This is my farm and I want you gone, but Rick talked me out of it. I still don't like it, so do us all a favor and keep your mouth shut." I was so proud of Hershel in that moment, glad he had the balls to stand up to him. He and Shane stared at each other, then Shane looked around at each of us. Everyone was on edge, waiting for Shane's reaction. My fist was curled up, my nails digging into my palm as I watched the two of them face off next to me.

Shane's eyes landed on me and I glared at him, my hatred plain on my face as I held my breath, ready to punch him if needed. He shook his head, rubbing his hands over his shaved head and stormed out of the house, the door slamming against the hinges. I let out a breath and uncurled my fingers.

Rick clapped Hershel on the shoulder and turned back to everyone. "Now, we don't have to decide what to do with him tonight." Andrea followed Shane, a disgusted look on her face, making me think back to what Daryl told me about them. "So everyone just relax tonight. We'll decide tomorrow." Everyone dispersed.

Carol stood up and looked at me, giving me a tentative smile. I smiled back. She walked toward Daryl, who gave her a shitty look before turning and storming out. Clearly he's still upset about how she handled the Sophia thing, I thought to myself.

Carol made to follow him and I caught up, putting my hand on her arm. "Carol," I said, "I would just give him some space for now," I advised her. "He's obviously still upset and I don't want him to say something he might regret." She looked at me and smiled painfully, nodding.

"You're right," she said as she turned to make her way back to our camp, Grace and Claire walking with her, as the latter put her arm around her.

Hershel headed back to check on Randall, while Glen and Maggie went off by themselves. I walked in the direction of Daryl's private camp by the trees, sure that's where he'd headed, and found Shane and Andrea having a serious conversation by the stable.

They stopped talking as I walked by. Shane glared at me. I just gave him a dirty look and kept walking. Andrea rolled her eyes and walked toward camp.

"Yo, Princess!" Shane called to me. I couldn't help it - I stopped and spun around to look at him. "You got somethin' to say?"

I smiled at him sarcastically. "Sure, Shane. I got a lotta things to say, but ain't one of them nice. And my Mama always told me if I didn't have anything nice to say, I should just walk away." He scoffed, giving me his sarcastic grin. I could feel my blood boiling. "Shame your mama didn't do the same." He glared at me. "Or maybe she did, but you're just too damn stupid to take her advice."

"What did you say to me, bitch?" he asked, walking quickly toward me. My hand went automatically to my gun on my belt. "You think you're some hot shit, don't you?" he muttered to me. "Rick thinks you walk on water since you can track like that stupid hick." My other fist balled up at the mention of Daryl. "Too bad you're just a stupid little slut that's gon' get herself in trouble."

I laughed as I thought about how many times he had hit on me and yet called me a slut while he was screwing Andrea. He scowled and put his hands on his hips.

"Wow, Shane - you really flatter me. It's just too bad I saw right through your little act and didn't let you in my pants, despite all of your obvious efforts." He glared at me, his eyes flashing, and I could tell he was getting more and more angry, but I was determined to get it out. "You're truly a piece of work, always trying to be all smooth, flirty, and charming...but I see you for what you really are." He sneered at me as I smiled back. "You're a wolf in sheep's clothing - sneaky like a snake in the tall grass - trying to play the role of a leader when we all know you'd save your own ass first. You're a player, a cheat, and a Goddamn awful liar." His lip curled in anger and I tightened my hand on my gun. "That's how you got Lori to sleep with you, right?" I whispered. His eyes grew larger. "You flashed her a crooked smile, fed her a few charming words, and flat out lied to her about Rick bein' dead. Such a charmer, Shane. Too bad your lies caught up to you in the form of Rick..."

He stared me down. "What did you just say bitch?"

He stepped up to me and got right in my face. I didn't back down, staring right up at him. "You don't scare me, Shane," I whispered to him, rage building inside me, threatening to bubble over as I felt his breath on my face.

He stared in my eyes and made a move to grab my arm. I swiftly brought my arm up, knocking his hand away with force. He looked surprised, then sneered at me.

"My Daddy taught me self-defense." I sneered at him. "Told me there would be men that would try to assert their dominance over me. Ain't the first time I met one," I said, glaring up at him. He made another move to grab me and I jumped back, arms up and ready for his advance.

"HEY! Wha' the hell is goin' on?" I heard Daryl ask, hearing him approach. I didn't take my eyes off Shane.

"Ain't none of your business, Daryl. This is between me and Madison," Shane said, staring at me as he wiped the sweat off his brow. I still didn't look away from Shane's hateful gaze as Daryl stepped between us and got in Shane's face, lightly nudging me back.

"This is ma' business," Daryl growled, ready for a fight, his fists balled up.

Shane gave a short laugh and took a step back. "Well looky here...the trailer park trash fell for the southern slut! Ain' that just so sweet?" he asked sarcastically.

Daryl snarled.

"Fuck you, Shane," I said, stepping around Daryl and toward Shane. Daryl grabbed my waist with one arm, pulling me back as the air whooshed in my ears, my blood boiling over being called a slut again by that piece of shit.

"Nah, no thanks. You had your shot," Shane said, smirking as he limp-walked back toward camp. "We'll finish this later," I heard him mumble as he walked away.

Daryl spun around and looked at me. "Tha hell, Madison?!" He let go of me, stepping back and pacing.

"What?" I asked him angrily, ready for an argument.

"Why are you pickin' a fight with Shane?" he spat at me as he threw his hands out in frustration.

I huffed. "I'm not picking a fucking fight. He started in on me and I just defended myself. I probably said some things to piss him off, but wasn't anything that wasn't true!"

"Did he threaten you?" Daryl asked me, walking over to stand in front of me, concern plain on his face.

I nodded. "Pretty much. I'm not worried about it though. I can handle Shane."

He shocked me as he pulled me to him, putting his strong arms around my shoulders and hugging me as I put my arms around his waist and hugged him back. "I'm glad I came when I did," he whispered in my ear. "Shane is dangerous and now you're on his radar."

I pulled back and looked up at him. "I can take care of myself."

Daryl made a rude noise and pulled back, putting his hands on my shoulders, his blue eyes flashing. "Shane killed Otis...wha' makes ya think he won' try to kill ya too?"

"How'd you know that?" I asked him, startled.

He backed up and started pacing again, which I was starting to think was a nervous habit of his. "Dale talked to me 'bout it. But I figured it out a'while 'go. He said Otis got over run and sacrificed himself...but he brought back Otis' gun. Just din' make sense he'd have tha dead mans gun. And now we know Otis put all those walkers in the barn so he knew what he was doin' when it came ya handlin'em. He's fulla shit." He glanced at me as he walked. "Jus' promise me you won't start another argument with him."

"I didn't start it. He did," I said defiantly, putting my hands on my hips.

Daryl shook his head. "Now I have to worry 'bout you an' Shane," he said under his breath, but I still heard it.

"You don't have to worry about me at all," I spat, throwing my hands up in anger.

He stopped pacing and looked at me. "No, Madison, see tha's where yer wrong," he replied, pointing his finger at me. "I will worry 'bout you. I can' help it." He threw his hands up in the air again. "Trust me, I don' wan' feel this way, but I do. Tried fightin' it, but it din' work." He started pacing again. I was surprised by his admission, much like the one earlier. I had already figured out that he was NOT the type to admit how he felt, so I was surprised by his admission. My stomach flipped as I swallowed the lump that formed in the back of my throat.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I tried fighting my feelings where you're concerned, too" I told him, moving closer to him as he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me.

He stepped forward and closed the distance between us. He reached for my waist to pull me closer to him, my hands moving up his arms to his defined biceps then to rest on his shoulders as my stomach clenched. His fingers dug into my hips, making my breath catch. His eyes remained locked on mine as he moved his face closer to mine. He leaned in closer to my lips...

"Daryl?" we heard Rick call out from just behind the barn.

"Can' get no damn privacy 'round here," he whispered against my lips as he quickly let me go and stepped back. I laughed, releasing my held breath again.

"Comin'!" he said out loud. "We'll talk later," he said to me as he gave me a little smile and turned to walk away.

This side of Daryl was something new...and definitely odd.

But I liked it.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the brief hiatus - big project at work has taken up a lot of my time!

Without further adieu...

SMUT WARNING!*

* * *

One week had passed since we brought Randall back to the farm. Marc and Hershel set up a makeshift hospital room in a small shed behind the house where he stayed cuffed to the bed and under one-man surveillance per Rick's request.

A lot of tension remained between Shane and myself, Rick, and Daryl, and the rest of the group had definitely noticed. Shane made it a point to voice his displeasure at being banned from the house by Hershel - though the rest of the group seemed to understand why. Rick mostly shot his best friend worried and angry glances while whispering with Daryl, Glenn, and me about his volatile behavior. Meanwhile, Andrea stuck by Shane's side and Lori continued to justify his actions at the barn to anyone who would listen.

The few times I'd been on my own, I'd caught Shane watching me from a distance with an unreadable expression on his face. I held his gaze, glaring until he looked away.

I would not be intimidated.

On this particularly chilly morning, I kept an eye on the group while I ate oatmeal with fresh peaches that Carol had made. Most of us were eating breakfast, waiting to hear the plan for how things would be handled since Marc had given Randall the all clear from his injury and subsequent surgery. I was on the fence, pun intended, on what to do with him - would he stay and become part of the group or would we let him go? Daryl and I were both of the same mindset: Randall seemed harmless himself, but his cohorts that Rick, Hershel, Glenn, and I had encountered in the bar most definitely were not. I was positive the decision would not be made lightly.

I glanced over at Daryl from my seat between Carol and Grace as he stood by the RV and spoke with Glenn. He looked incredibly sexy, even if he was in his usual jeans and sleeveless flannel shirt over a wife beater, his crossbow flung over his back. He was comfortable with who he was and it was such a turn on.

My thoughts drifted back to the previous week and I smiled to myself...

Daryl and I had spent a lot of time together in the woods. We had really enjoyed each other's company, even when we were arguing about who was the better hunter/tracker - me of course.

The first morning we went hunting, I took down a huge 9-point buck we had been tracking for hours. Daryl had looked surprised and grunted, "Nice shot," so softly I could barely hear. He then helped me field dress it while I smirked as we worked together. Eventually, he looked up at me and I raised my eyebrows, putting my fist on my hip. He tried to look stern, his facade quickly falling as he smiled, giving me a genuine congratulations that made me laugh. "Told ya I'm a good shot," I'd joked as he shook his head. "Yeah, yeah," he'd replied. Everyone in our group had been thrilled to have meat and we had even been able to freeze some of it when Hershel hooked up the deep freezer to the generator.

He and I spent more time in the woods the rest of that week than with the group, gathering more squirrels and rabbits to add to the freezer, both of us hoping to gather enough to get us through the Fall and possibly the mild but often cold Georgia winter. We spent a lot of time in silence, quickly becoming attuned to each others movements and hunting practices.

Daryl and I sat on at the edge of the woods a few days later, cleaning our weapons and sharpening arrows, and had a very heated argument. Daryl was still convinced that Shane had it out for me. I tried to change the subject and brush it off but Daryl wasn't having it. He yelled at me, saying that I didn't care enough about the target on my back, how I liked to push people's buttons, and how he couldn't always be there to keep an eye on me...all of which pissed me off. I told him to fuck off, angry that he didn't think I could take care of myself, despite proving to him that I could. I stood up to gather my stuff and he'd jumped up, grabbing my arm and turning me around to face him. "Maddie, don' go. I'm not sain' ya can't take care of yerself. I'm sayin' Shane ain' right in tha head. He don't like ya and I'm scared he'll try ta do somethin' is all." His blue eyes showed his sincerity in his pseudo-apology and I'd felt my heart racing. "Fine...I'll stay. But just don't act like I can't handle myself." He'd nodded and pulled me to him in a hug. I smiled into his shoulder.

Days with him were great, but the nights were my favorite. Every night after the group had fallen asleep, I'd sneaked away from my shared tent with Claire to Daryl's campsite on the edge of the larger camp area. We laid under the stars on a blanket, mostly in silence, just enjoying the quiet. Daryl had asked me a few questions about my life before the apocalypse, but offered little insight into his, other than to tell me a hilarious story about him getting lost in the woods for a few days and wiping his ass with poison oak leaves. I'd laughed so hard at the mental image of a younger Daryl walking around and scratching his ass, that I'd snorted, which made Daryl laugh until he had to wipe tears away. Since the snort was embarrassing enough, I'd made sure not to offer up any of my own mortifying stories, instead talking about how my daddy had taught me everything and I'd soaked up as much time and knowledge as he'd been willing to give. I avoided Daryl's question about their death, telling him I wasn't ready to talk about it yet. He'd nodded and reached out to hold my hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

We did a lot of that...hand holding, laying close to each other, some point of intimate contact. But the best part of all, I thought, as the warmth spread over me, was there had been a lot of kissing...

I was pulled from my thoughts by Grace. "Beth is doing better," she said to us. "Marc said she's out of her catatonic state and that she's been talking."

"Good! I've been worried," I replied. "I know Maggie was really worried about her when we talked yesterday." Grace nodded.

We ate in silence for a few more minutes, my eyes wandering over to Daryl again. He glanced over at me and gave me a small nod. I smiled in return as I stood up and walked over to put my dishes in the dirty bucket. I went back to my seat, picking up my knife and the sharpener to do busy work.

"Wonder what they're going to do with Randall?" Carol asked.

"Guess we're about to find out," I replied, watching as Rick and Marc made their way toward us. Glenn and Daryl walked over to meet them. Shane came out of his tent and scowled as he took a seat by the fire next to Andrea. Daryl, Glenn, and Marc came to a stop just outside the circle of chairs around the fire while Rick stepped into the circle, hands on his hips as he glanced around at all of us.

"So as you all know, Randall has fully recovered from his surgery," Rick stated as we all nodded in response. "We've decided that Shane and I will take him about 18 miles out from the farm and drop him off." I glanced at Lori, who looked uneasy about them going. "We'll give him some supplies, so he can have a chance at survival. And he'll be blindfolded so he won't be able to find his way back." Shane looked like he wasn't keen on this plan, his head in his hands, looking at the ground.

"Why 18 miles?" Andrea asked.

"There's a town about 20 miles away. We figure we can drive him around, get him good and confused about where we're headed, drop him off, and point him in that direction. We're also not far from here and can get back by dark."

"Why you and Shane?" Lori spoke up.

"It has to be us," Rick said. "We can get the job done, get back before dark." Lori looked away and I frowned at her, thinking the plan sounded pretty solid. I figured the reason Rick wanted Shane with him was so he could keep an eye on him so no one else had to.

"You're going today?" I asked, eyes on Rick.

Rick nodded. "We leave in an hour. I need Dale, Daryl, Madison, and T-Dog to keep watch. Daryl and Madison will be in charge until I get back." I glanced at Daryl, who was looking around at everyone and his eyes landed on Shane, his expression unreadable. Shane continued to watch the ground. Rick ended the meeting with a quick "thanks," and the group broke up.

Daryl gestured for me, T-Dog, and Dale to follow him to the RV. We stood in a circle as Daryl made plans. "I'm gonna take tha perimeter, patrol tha treeline. Maddie, ya stick to tha camp an' house with tha group. T-Dog, if ya will take tha win'mill then Dale can lookou' from tha RV. Soun' good?"

"You got it, boss," T-Dog replied as he threw him a mock salute. I laughed as he smiled at me, reaching out a hand to squeeze my bicep, and headed toward the windmill. Dale grinned and patted me on the back as he climbed the stairs to the top of the RV.

"Come with me for a sec," he said, as I followed him toward his camping space away from the main camp. He stopped by the tree and put his hand around my upper arm, gently pulling me to him as he looked around to see if we were alone. "I know wha' yer thinkin', but I want ya at tha camp so ya can watch tha others. Wasn' 'cause I don' thin' yer all tough and shit." He smirked at me.

"Yeah yeah," I replied. "Always Mr. Macho, thinkin' I ain't good enough to handle a 'man's' job," I said with mocking air-quotation marks. He chuckled as he reached up to smooth my hair back behind my ears, making goosebumps rise all over my skin as I put my hands on his tight chest.

"Not at all. I know my girl can handle herself." My heart skipped a beat at his words.

I grinned. "Your girl, huh?" I replied as I tilted my head to the side and smiled at him, a tiny smile spreading across his face.

"Yeah...tha' okay with ya?" he asked, a sudden cocky attitude coming out as he pulled me flush against him, his head dropping to run his nose along my neck. "Can I call ya my girl?" My heart raced and a pit formed in my stomach. I was immediately turned on as his breath came in puffs against my skin, his uncharacteristically bold words and actions making my blood run hot.

"Fine by me," I whispered shakily as he raised a hand to my cheek and he lifted his head and stared into my eyes. I willed him to kiss me as our breaths mingled. He quickly leaned in and pressed his soft lips against mine. I moaned into his mouth as our tongues met. His hands wove into my hair and rested at the back of my head, holding me in place, which only made me hotter. I put my arms around his waist and pulled him impossibly close, our lower halves pressed together as I felt his excitement at our moment. My head was spinning, my breath quickly running out as he pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to my swollen lips. He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed and hands still in my hair as he caught his breath. I stared at his handsome face, willing my breathing and heart rate to slow to normal again. This kiss had been like none other and I knew that if we had been in his tent, it would have lead to so much more. That thought did nothing to slow my racing heart as I closed my eyes too.

* * *

After Rick and Shane left with Randall, Grace and I went to camp and started laundry, while Dale and T-Dog took watch on top of the RV. Andrea and Claire sat on the front porch with Carl playing chess; Lori, Carol, and Patricia were busy in the kitchen; Marc and Hershel were tending to Beth; and Maggie and Glenn took off somewhere together. I had no idea where Daryl had gone off to.

After the first load of laundry was finished, Grace and I sat down to rest.

"So," Grace started, taking a sip of water. "You and Daryl, huh?"

I spit my water out. "Wh-what? What are you talking about?" I asked, wiping the back of my hand across my mouth. Grace smiled.

"Sure hope he's nicer to you than he is to the rest of us."

"Grace - "

"I know. You're both very private people...your secret is safe with me," she said, gently elbowing me.

I felt my face flushing. "How did you find out?" I asked, fixing to get mad at Claire.

"Honey, I am observant. I've seen how he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking...and he's always watching you. He really likes you." She brushed my hair off of my neck, moving my long braid to the side.

"We're just...getting to know each other. It's stupid, Grace. I mean, the world has gone to hell! Only we would start a relationship in the middle of all this..." I waved my hand around.

"Maggie and Glenn," she pointed out.

"Yeah...I guess you're right!" I said, as we both laughed.

"Maddie - just because the world has changed doesn't mean we have to. In all this craziness, we have to cling to what's left of our humanity. Relationships are the only thing that make sense now." She put her hand on my knee. "So please, if y'all really like each other, go for it."

I leaned over and gave her a big hug. "I love you, Gracie."

"I love you, Maddie." We separated and she smiled. "Okay, let's finish this laundry!"

* * *

As the afternoon wore on, Grace and I stayed busy, Claire joining us to hang the last load of laundry up to dry. We laughed as Claire told us stories about the time she was up Miss Madison County and how Mama tried to get her to wear an old fashioned dress with a petty coat.

I was wiping tears of laughter and sadness away when I heard a car coming quickly up the driveway. I put my hand on the butt of my gun as I turned quickly toward the driveway to see Rick and Shane's car kicking up dust. Just as quickly as the car was flying, it came to an abrupt stop.

Everyone ran out to meet them. Shane got out of the passenger seat, his face bruised, swollen and bleeding. He looked pissed off as he headed for the trunk. Rick climbed out of the car from the driver's seat, his face not looking much better as he shot Shane a nasty look and glanced over at me. I raised my eyebrows and Rick shook his head once, letting me know that he would fill me in later.

Lori ran up to Rick. "What the hell happened?" she asked, grabbing his face in her hands.

"We'll talk in a minute." He pulled her hands from his face and pushed past her. He and I both went to join Shane by the trunk and as he popped open the door, I saw Randall laying in the trunk, bloody, handcuffed, and blindfolded.

Daryl appeared out of nowhere and stood next to me. "Wha' tha hell?" he asked Rick.

"Daryl, T-Dog - take him to the old barn and cuff him to the piping. We all need to talk. Meet us in the house in 5 minutes." Daryl and T-Dog nodded and moved to pull Randall out of the trunk and escorted him to the barn.

I watched Rick and Shane glare at each other, still wondering what happened and eager to speak with Rick to find out. I should have gone with them, I thought. There is obviously a lot of tension there and I wondered if it had to do with Lori...or the fact that Shane was just a plain old douchebag.

We all shuffled into the house, Rick and Shane still shooting daggers at each other. Marc approached Rick and asked if he needed any medical attention. Rick shook his head and patted Marc on the shoulder. Marc turned to Shane, who just ignored him. Asshole, I thought to myself, shooting Shane a nasty look at how he treated my brother in law. Jerk. Hershel gestured to the dining room and we all gathered around the table as Daryl and T-Dog came in to join us.

Rick looked at Maggie. "Do you know Randall?"

She looked confused. "No. Should I?"

Shane put his head down and said quietly, "He says you went to school together...elementary through high school. You rode the bus together. Knows your name, your dad's name. He knows where we are."

Maggie's mouth dropped open and Glenn put his hand on her arm. "Are you serious?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't remember him..."

Rick glared at Shane. "We had to change our plans."

We all nodded, shocked by this new development. "What are we going to do?" Andrea asked.

"Tonight, we'll do nothing. Tomorrow, Daryl and I will question him about his group. We'll find out more information and go from there." Rick stepped back from the table. No one argued with Rick or asked any more questions, as his statement seemed final. "I need to see Daryl, Glenn, and Madison."

Everyone else left as Rick pulled out a chair and sank down into it, rubbing his hands tiredly over his face. Daryl pulled out a chair for me and gestured for me to sit as Glenn sat across from me and Daryl simply stood, not one to sit down during meetings.

"What happened out there, Rick?" I asked quietly, staring intently at him.

He lifted his head. "Shane," he started, looking into my eyes. "Shane and I got into it. We got into a fight. He wanted to put a bullet in Randall and just leave him. I can't have him killing people just because. It's not right." I put my hand on his arm. "We got really physical," he gestured to his face as he looked at Daryl and Glenn, "and we got stupid...walkers came out and we just barely escaped. Randall actually helped me save Shane when he got cornered. Despite all he's done," I squeezed his arm again, "I couldn't just leave him out there to die."

"He try ta kill ya?" Daryl asked. I moved my hand from Rick's arm and sat back in my chair.

"No...just a fight...over Randall...Lori..."

I felt my face flush with anger and leaned forward to put my elbows on the table. "But you know he's dangerous, right?" I asked as Daryl placed a hand on my shoulder in warning. I glanced up at him and turned right back to Rick. "It might have seemed like a stupid nothing fight," I gestured angrily with my hand, "but I'm sure Shane wouldn't have gone back to save you had the shoe been on the other foot..." Rick looked into my eyes for a bit as Daryl squeezed my shoulder tightly.

Rick finally nodded in agreement, looking away. "You're right, Madison." I sat back in frustration. "I know you're right."

"So what do we do?" Glenn asked, giving Daryl's hand on my shoulder a quick glance before looking over at Rick. "Should we watch Shane too?"

I smacked my hand on the table, startling everyone. "Hell yes, we should! I've been telling you all that he's off his rocker. Just look at what he's done so far!"

Rick put his hand in the air. "Okay, okay." I sat back again, Daryl putting both hands on both of my shoulders. "Yes. I want to keep an eye on Shane, mostly because I'm worried he'll go after Randall. But let's be smart about it. Don't be obvious. I'll let T-Dog and Dale know too. We'll watch him and Randall." Rick looked at me. "Do not engage him. Just keep an eye out. Okay?" I refrained from rolling my eyes as I nodded in agreement.

"You got it, boss," I replied. Daryl squeezed my shoulders and dropped his hands to his sides.

"Thanks," he said with a sigh. "We'll meet again to talk about Randall in the morning."

We all nodded as we stood. Rick patted me on the back and smiled as he and Glenn walked by me. Daryl gently grabbed my elbow as we stepped into the front hall and guided me to the small sitting room. After checking to make sure no one was around, he stepped close to me and whispered, "I's kinda hot when ya get all piss't off..."

I smiled and looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. "You flirting with me, Dixon?" I asked coyly. He smirked at me.

"Come ta ma tent tonigh', as soon as ya can," he said, putting his hand on my face, rubbing his thumb across my cheek.

I nodded, my breath caught in my throat. He gave me another smirk, then turned and walked out of the room and out the front door. I took a second to catch my breath and followed him.

Dinner was uncomfortable to say the least. Shane stayed to himself in his tent, while Lori looked from the tent to Rick, concern plain in her pretty features. The rest of the group was unsure what had happened on the trip, and really unsure what would happen with Randall, so everyone ate in complete silence.

* * *

Once dinner was cleaned up and the group settled in for the night, I lay on my cot and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the right time to leave.

Claire looked up at me from her book and smiled. "Just go."

I looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

She sat up and grinned. "I know you've been sneaking off with Daryl." My eyes opened wide and I sat up, my heart racing. "What? I'm not stupid, ya know! I know what's going on between y'all and I think it's cute. So just go. I'll cover for ya if someone comes looking."

I smiled at her. "Freakin' sisters. You and and Grace both."

She grinned. "You kow you can't hide anything from us! But you also know we won't tell a soul..."

I shook my head and smiled. "I know. I love you, Claire-bear."

She reached over to hug me. "Love you, Maddie-poo."

"Ugh! Not that nickname!" I said as I stood up to leave, pulling a sweatshirt over my head and grabbing my gun belt.

"Go get your man," she joked as we both laughed.

"You're so stupid," I replied, my face flushing with embarrassment. She giggled again and flipped me the bird.

I waved to her and opened the tent door. I looked around and saw Rick sitting at the fire, staring at the flames. No one else was outside, all having retired to their tents. Andrea and Glenn stood on watch on top of the RV, but both were facing the woods. I exited the tent and sneaked quietly toward Daryl's. When I got to his tent, I unzipped the door and poked my head in. "Hey, Dixon," I whispered.

He smiled at me, sitting up on his sleeping bag. I walked in and zipped the tent closed and turned back to him. I pulled off my sweatshirt and unhooked my gun belt, placing both by the door. He smirked and grabbed my hand, pulling me down next to him. He quickly laid us down and put his arm around me, the other arm tucked behind his head. I rested my head on his chest and put my arm around his slim waist.

"I really missed ya, today," he said after a few minutes of silence.

I breathed deeply, inhaling his masculine scent. "I missed you, too." He tightened his grip on me, pulling me tightly to his side. I snaked my leg around his and felt him tense up for a second, then slowly relax as I ran my hand up and down his chiseled chest.

Daryl reached down with his free hand and grabbed my chin, lifting my head from his chest so he could look into my eyes. "Wha's on yer mind?" he whispered.

"Nothing really," I replied. "Just enjoying laying here with you."

"Me too," he replied gruffly. His eyes traveled down to my lips and back up to my eyes and we both smiled.

He slowly brought his face close to mine and kissed me lightly on the lips. I moaned at the feeling of his warm lips, wondering how they were always so soft as I opened my mouth to give him better access. He deepened the kiss, his tongue entering my mouth and meeting mine, heat rising in my chest as the kiss grew more heated than any we had ever shared.

I shifted my body up so that we could lay face to face and he lifted himself up on one elbow, pushing me gently to my back so he could lay over me. His hand moved down to my hip and he kissed me harder. I reached around, holding onto his back, my other hand holding onto his toned bicep. I gasped when he moved his face to my neck, placing hot, wet kisses under my jaw down to my collar bone. He let out a groan as I arched my back when his tongue ran over my collarbone again. He sucked on the skin over my pulse point and my breath came out as a hiss. I could feel the dampness in my panties as he ran his hand down to rest on my lower abdomen.

"Fuck, Maddie," he grunted as he moved his leg to cover mine and I could feel his erection on my thigh as he pushed against me, groaning at the friction it caused as I moved closer to him, desperately wanting to feel more of him. He quickly moved his lips back to mine and pushed his tongue past my lips as we both fought for dominance as we moaned in unison. I wanted him inside me. Now.

"Daryl," I whispered against his mouth as his hand slipped under my shirt and painfully gripped my side, "please, Daryl. I want you..."

He pulled back a fraction of an inch, his gorgeous blue eyes dark as they searched mine.

"You sure?" he asked quietly, his voice hoarse with lust.

"Fuck yes," I replied, pushing my thigh against his erection and pulling his face back to mine, kissing him hard.

He sat up quickly, pulling me up with him. He pulled off his flannel shirt and wife beater, as I reached down to my shirt and pulled it over my head. My eyes raked down his impressive chest and abs and I reached out to run my hand down his chest to his lower abs.

I heard him suck in his breath. "No bra?" he asked huskily, his eyes on my breasts.

"Still hanging on the line," I said, grinning.

"Gotta love laundry day," he growled, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me into his lap so that I was straddling him. I giggled at his enthusiasm until I felt his warm mouth on my nipple, his other hand grabbing my other breast. My head fell back and I moaned loudly, sure that Andrea and Glenn could hear us but not giving a shit as his hot tongue and mouth drew sharp pants from my chest. I held on tightly to his shoulders as he sucked and licked and bit my nipples, my chest flushed and pants leaving me unable to breath. I pushed my center over his clothed erection, desperate for relief from what he was building up.

"Daryl," I moaned as he brought a hand up to the base of my throat, gently gripping me as he moved his lips back up to meet mine in a crushing kiss. I put my arms around his shoulders and pulled him as close as I could, my breasts meeting the spattering of hair on his hard chest, turning me on even more as he lifted his hips and ground his hips into mine, his erection pushing against my clit, making me grind harder against him. He moaned loudly into my mouth.

"Pants...off...now," he panted out.

He gently pushed me off of his lap and stood up, pulling me up with him. He continued to kiss me as he reached down to undo my jeans. In one swift move, he pulled my panties and jeans to the ground, as I struggled with his belt. He moved my hands so he could undo it himself, while I unzipped his jeans and reached in to grab his erection, not patient enough to wait for him to undo his pants.

I wrapped my hand around his erection and gently pulled it out as he hissed. I glanced down at his impressive length and moaned with anticipation, my thighs clenching together. He stared at me as I stroked him from the base to the tip and his head fell back as my hand moved back down. I moved closer and kissed his exposed neck while I started to lightly stroke him as he pushed against me. I tightened my grip as I picked up the pace, getting more and more wet as he let out groans of pleasure from me stroking him.

"Shit, Maddie," he muttered as he hurriedly pulled my hand away so he could unbutton his pants. He quickly dropped them to his ankles as I licked my lips, my clit pulsing with need.

He grabbed the back of my head and my waist and pulled me to him, our bodies crashing into each other. I put my hands on his arms to steady myself when he placed hard, wet kisses on my mouth, my jaw, my neck, all while his hands roamed over my body, making me hot all over.

"Please, Daryl...I fucking need you now," I whispered to him.

He picked me up and laid me down gently on his sleeping bag and reached into his backpack, producing a condom. I smiled at him and cocked my head to the side.

"I got some on the las' run we made," he said, shrugging, as he tore the package open with his teeth.

"So you thought you were gonna get lucky, huh?" I asked, smirking at him, my legs falling open as he moved between them.

"Nah..." he said, rolling the condom on. He hovered over me and smiled. "I was hopin' I was gonna get lucky," he said, as he grabbed my thighs and pushed himself into me.

"FUCK," I whispered loudly as I quickly adjusted to his size, filling me to the hilt.

His head dropped to my shoulder. "Damn, yer tigh'. Ain' gonna last," he moaned.

"Oh," I moaned into his ear as he kissed my neck and drove into me, quickly hitting the right pace, "shit," I said, as I felt my orgasm building. He reached one hand down and flicked my clit as I held onto his biceps.

"Hmmm...feel good, Maddie?" he asked me, as he thrust harder and harder, moving the pad of his finger over my clit and kissing my neck and my mouth, teasing me with his tongue and teeth. My breathing was coming out in short pants, my whole body on fire.

"AH - yes," I said, panting as I felt my orgasm coming on. "Shit, Daryl!"

"Fuck," he said out loud, as I felt his body tighten and his eyes slam shut.

That was all it took to send me over the edge.

The tight ball in my stomach clenched one last time and released as my orgasm hit, my head pushing back against the pillow as I gripped his arms, my body quivering as he gave a final grunt and released his own orgasm inside me. He moved his hips against mine as he collapsed on top of me and I put my arms around him, coming down from my high. I ran my hands lazily up and down his muscular back as he breathed heavily against my neck.

"Shit," he whispered as he gave one final thrust. I moaned, my breathing still erratic.

He rolled to the side, pulling me with him, our legs tangled around each other, arms around each other. He kissed my forehead and I smiled as I tried to regulate my breathing and rested my head on his shoulder. He pulled me tightly to him and hugged me close.

"Ya 'kay?" he asked after a few minutes.

I lifted my head and looked at him. "Yeah. You?"

He nodded. "Good." He sighed and squeezed me to him again. He reached over and grabbed the blanket next to his sleeping bag and pulled it over us. "Le's jus' lay here for a while," he whispered.

"Sounds good to me," I replied as I snuggled closer to him. We lay together, wrapped in each other's arms and legs, not saying a word. He ran his fingers through my hair as I rubbed circles over his chest.

Where does this leave us?, I wondered to myself, despite the part of me that was screaming to just live in the moment and not over analyze.

I closed my eyes and just let all thoughts just leave my head.

After a half hour, I sat up and stretched my arms over my head. Daryl sat up next to me and kissed my shoulder.

"I gotta get back to my tent," I said as I looked over my shoulder at his handsome face. He nodded with a sigh.

I stood up and started to get dressed while Daryl laid back down with his hands behind his head and watched me.

"What?" I asked him as I pulled on my shirt and fixed my hair.

"Nothin'," he said, sitting up. "Ya jus' look beautiful is all," he murmured, avoiding my eyes. My heart skipped a beat as I leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. He gave me a crooked smile, then stood up and started getting dressed.

I smiled."Where ya going?" I asked him, as he pulled his shoes on while I pulled my gunbelt on and fastened it.

"Gonna walk you back to your tent." He reached out and pulled me to him, softly kissing my lips as my eyes closed and my hands rested on his chest. "Don' wan' nothin' happenin' to ya."

"What a gentleman," I replied, grinning at him.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, ducking his head as he reached to unzip the tent.

I liked this softer side of Daryl, I thought to myself as he walked me back to my tent, our hands brushing against each other. We got to the door and he glanced around the camp before leaning in and kissing me softly again.

"See ya in tha' mornin'. Sleep good."

I smiled at him. "You too, Dixon."

He gave me another crooked grin and turned to head back to his tent.

Too bad he couldn't be like this more often.


End file.
